By Joe Capozzi

 

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

 

Thursday, February 23, 2006

 

JUPITER ? Miguel Cabrera arrived at Marlins camp Wednesday and scanned a practice field for familiar faces. He saw Lenny Harris. And Dontrelle Willis. That was about it.

 

"It's complicated,'' Cabrera said of his reaction to the roster makeover in which front-line players were replaced by prospects. "I don't know how to explain that because the last two years I played with those guys

 

"This year we have a lot of potential. I know I'm not going to have a lot of veterans in the lineup, but I'm not going to worry about that.''

 

Last year, batting around established hitters such as Carlos Delgado and Mike Lowell, Cabrera led the team in average (.323), home runs (33) and RBI (116).

 

This year, he knows he'll be pitched differently, batting third ahead of Jeremy Hermida and Mike Jacobs, left-handed hitters with potential but just 141 career at-bats between them. Cabrera probably will get more than the 64 walks he had last season, possibly hurting his power numbers.

 

He'll also become a full-time third baseman, which should be more comfortable for him than playing in the outfield.

 

He faces a bigger adjustment off the field, in a clubhouse full of players who have less experience than he does. At 22, he will be looked upon as a leader, a role he might not be prepared for despite his impressive statistics.

 

"Miguel is the type of player who has to carry himself first,'' said Harris, the 41-year-old pinch-hitter and one of the few veterans to return from the 2005 team. "Everybody knows what an impact player he is on the field, but it takes a different kind of guy to lead in the locker room. He could be a leader. It all depends if he accepts that role or not.''

 

Last season, Cabrera angered some teammates with transgressions ranging from tardiness to kicking a soccer ball on the field before pre-game stretching.

 

On Sept. 25, he was benched by then-manager Jack McKeon for showing up late. When a Palm Beach Post reporter asked Cabrera if he needed guidance from any of the more experienced players, he replied with a curse word: "(Forget) the veterans. They haven't told me anything and they better not come tell me anything, either.''

 

That prompted some players to call a team meeting the next day to scold him, an episode Harris thought was unfair to Cabrera.

 

"All of a sudden they said, 'Get everybody in here. We're going to have a meeting,' " Harris recalled. "And I saw Miguel with his head down. I asked Luis (Castillo) what's going on and he said, 'Oh, man, they just got all over Cabrera.' "

 

Harris said the meeting bothered Cabrera over the final week of the season.

 

"I thought there was a more professional way to handle it,'' Harris said. "He took a lot of bashing the last part of the season. A lot of guys got all over him. I just told him what kind of player he could become.''

 

Harris said he plans to talk to Cabrera again this spring to remind him that young players will turn to him for guidance.

 

"I pretty much have to tell him, 'People are going to look at you more than they did last year not only as a ballplayer but as a team leader' ? if he can accept that role," Harris said. "I think he can if he wants to put his mind to it."

 

Cabrera conceded that he isn't sure he wants to be a leader. "I'm ready to play," he said. "I don't worry about these guys. They have to play hard. If we play together, we'll have a chance to win.''

 

Cabrera dismissed as overblown an incident in January in his hometown of Maracay, Venezuela. Police were called to investigate whether Cabrera hit someone in a scuffle outside a nightclub. No charges were filed. Cabrera said he never threw a punch, and Cabrera's agent said the incident stemmed from an overzealous autograph seeker.

 

Of his problems in the clubhouse last season, Cabrera politely said: "That's the past. We've got a new team, a new manager.''

 

Manager Joe Girardi, who is expected to run a more disciplined clubhouse than McKeon did, said he is keeping an open mind about Cabrera.

 

"I'm going to make my own opinion on Miguel Cabrera," he said. "I'm not going to take somebody else's.

 

"What happened last year, I don't worry about it. It's my job to get the most out of him just like any other player on this team.''

I'm not worried... If he didn't like the way the veterans ran the team last year, here's his chance to step up and run it the way he thinks it should be.

I'm not worried... If he didn't like the way the veterans ran the team last year, here's his chance to step up and run it the way he thinks it should be.

 

 

Exactly. Whether he likes it or not, he is the leader of this team and he's going to have to lead by example in many different aspects of the game. He cannot pull the same stuff he pulled last year, because its really going to affect this team more than it ever did last season.

Well, I think this is Dontrelle's team personally, but Miguel is obviously going to have to be a leader as well. But D-Train has the maturity to be this teams' go-to guy in the clubhouse.

cabrera isnt a leader

maybe in 10 years but certainly not now

willis will be leading the club

I think I say that Cabs is the leader of this team because he's not going to be out there every fifth day like Dontrelle is. That's not to take anything away from D-Train, because this team is going to ride his arm all season long and he's going to get these guys to rally behind him everytime he's up there to pitch. But Cabrera is out there almost every single day on the field and in the lineup with these guys and he's going to be the catalyst for how much this team gets going both offensively and defensively.

 

 

Just my opinion :whistle

Dontrelle seems more like a follower than a leader. Although I'm sure Girardi will lean on Willis for support and the players that admire Willis will come to Girardi.

 

Cabrera seems like a leader. Outspoken, proud and charismatic. Whether he takes the team into a positive or negative direction will be seen.

The leader of this team is Joe Girardi. He is young enough to relate with all the players. I hope Cabrera leads with example and work ethics, and keeps his mouth shut (as he has done most of the time). 2006 is a about getting rdy for the future.

The leader of this team is Joe Girardi. He is young enough to relate with all the players. I hope Cabrera leads with example and work ethics, and keeps his mouth shut (as he has done most of the time). 2006 is a about getting rdy for the future.

 

There you go.

In the Herald article about Cabrera Lenny Harris said it was one veteran in particular that singled him out. I wonder who that was.

In the Herald article about Cabrera Lenny Harris said it was one veteran in particular that singled him out. I wonder who that was.

 

Could be Niner...Maybe that's why he really wasn't interested in returning...

 

Everyone thinks it's because he wants to be a backup on a good team rather than possibly start for a bad team....but I don't buy that.

 

Who knows.

In the Herald article about Cabrera Lenny Harris said it was one veteran in particular that singled him out. I wonder who that was.

 

Could be Niner...Maybe that's why he really wasn't interested in returning...

 

Everyone thinks it's because he wants to be a backup on a good team rather than possibly start for a bad team....but I don't buy that.

 

Who knows.

 

That's who I thought it might have been when I first read it. Mikey Lowell came to mind, but I doubt it was him. He and Miggy seemed to get along well.

In the Herald article about Cabrera Lenny Harris said it was one veteran in particular that singled him out. I wonder who that was.

 

Could be Niner...Maybe that's why he really wasn't interested in returning...

 

Everyone thinks it's because he wants to be a backup on a good team rather than possibly start for a bad team....but I don't buy that.

 

Who knows.

 

That's who I thought it might have been when I first read it. Mikey Lowell came to mind, but I doubt it was him. He and Miggy seemed to get along well.

 

Villone, remember the two almost had a fist fight. I'm pretty sure that's who they're talking about.

In the Herald article about Cabrera Lenny Harris said it was one veteran in particular that singled him out. I wonder who that was.

 

Could be Niner...Maybe that's why he really wasn't interested in returning...

 

Everyone thinks it's because he wants to be a backup on a good team rather than possibly start for a bad team....but I don't buy that.

 

Who knows.

 

That's who I thought it might have been when I first read it. Mikey Lowell came to mind, but I doubt it was him. He and Miggy seemed to get along well.

 

Villone, remember the two almost had a fist fight. I'm pretty sure that's who they're talking about.

 

 

Ahh. Yes, I forgot about him. It was probably Villone. I agree with Lenny that he went overboard.

I think its easy to forget how frustrated guys must have been in the clubhouse after underperforming all year, I'm sure Villone wanted to blame anyone but himself for how poorly he pitched. Think that Giradi will make a big difference with the young players, and run a much tighter ship, be a good leader, take the pressure off his guys, strict but fair, more of a father to the players that grandpa jack.

i feel bad for cabrera now because it seemed like they were really mean about it and he probably took it to heart.. i think it was conine who called the meeting.. if it was villone then thats just stupid because he barely knew cabrera. villone came in the middle of the season. plus, he sucked!

This 2006 team will be fun. That is all you can say, Miggy & Dontrelle will have the chance to win every night...that is all you can ask.

D TRAIN FOR CY YOUNG CAMPAIGN!!!!!!

Pudge missed games to visit PR during the in 03' and he was a "leader" too. I don't think Miggy should be pressured to change anything about how he acts, I don't want any more pressure on him.

Pudge missed games to visit PR during the in 03' and he was a "leader" too. I don't think Miggy should be pressured to change anything about how he acts, I don't want any more pressure on him.

 

 

Agreed. Miggy is still a young player and doesn't appear to be ready to be a clubhouse leader. Keep the pressure off and let him mature a bit more.

In the Herald article about Cabrera Lenny Harris said it was one veteran in particular that singled him out. I wonder who that was.

 

Could be Niner...Maybe that's why he really wasn't interested in returning...

 

Everyone thinks it's because he wants to be a backup on a good team rather than possibly start for a bad team....but I don't buy that.

 

Who knows.

 

That's who I thought it might have been when I first read it. Mikey Lowell came to mind, but I doubt it was him. He and Miggy seemed to get along well.

 

Villone, remember the two almost had a fist fight. I'm pretty sure that's who they're talking about.

 

 

what fist fight??

Someone, I forget who, threw a punch. It was stopped before it could result into a fist fight.

Dontrelle seems more like a follower than a leader. Although I'm sure Girardi will lean on Willis for support and the players that admire Willis will come to Girardi.

 

Cabrera seems like a leader. Outspoken, proud and charismatic. Whether he takes the team into a positive or negative direction will be seen.

 

 

I completely disagree. Cabrera seems immature to me. Willis seems like the kind of guy that would step up and be the leader of this team.

Ron "Mr.Clutch" Villone rippin on Cabrera?????

 

Nothing like the worst player on the team rippin into the best player on the team.

 

Hilarious.

Dontrelle seems more like a follower than a leader. Although I'm sure Girardi will lean on Willis for support and the players that admire Willis will come to Girardi.

 

Cabrera seems like a leader. Outspoken, proud and charismatic. Whether he takes the team into a positive or negative direction will be seen.

 

 

I completely disagree. Cabrera seems immature to me. Willis seems like the kind of guy that would step up and be the leader of this team.

A leader does not always lead to a result that is positive for anyone (including himself). A leader is someone people follow. Nothing more, nothing less. The guy in the corner who does everything his manager tells him or the guy who interacts with fans is not necessarily a good teammate or leader, he just doesn't cause problems. There's a huge difference.