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Alex Cabrera

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This article is about the athlete. For the guitarist, seeBridge to Grace.

Alex Cabrera
First baseman
Born:(1971-12-24)December 24, 1971(age 52)
Caripito,Monagas State,Venezuela
Batted:Right
Threw:Right
Professional debut
CPBL:March 16, 1999, for theKoos Group Whales
MLB:June 26, 2000, for theArizona Diamondbacks
NPB:March 24, 2001, for theSeibu Lions
Last appearance
CPBL:September 20, 1999, for theKoos Group Whales
MLB:September 30, 2000, for theArizona Diamondbacks
NPB:June 17, 2012, for theFukuoka SoftBank Hawks
CPBL statistics
Batting average.325
Home runs18
Runs batted in64
MLB statistics
Batting average.263
Home runs5
Runs batted in14
NPB statistics
Batting average.303
Home runs357
Runs batted in949
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Alexander Alberto Cabrera(born December 24, 1971) is aVenezuelanfirst basemanandright-handedbatter who played in 2000 for theArizona DiamondbacksinMajor League Baseball(MLB) and for 12 seasons inNippon Professional Baseball(NPB). He also played several seasons in theVenezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP).

Career

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Cabrera signed with theChicago Cubsas an amateurfree agentin 1991 and moved to theTampa Bay Devil Raysorganization before the 1998 season. He played for theKoos Group Whalesin theCPBLinTaiwanin 1999, then signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2000.

After nine seasons in the minors, Cabrera finally reached the majors with the Diamondbacks. A muscular slugger, Cabrera hit ahome runin his firstat-bat.[1][2]He ended the 2000 MLB season with a.262average,five home runs, 14RBI,10runs,and a.500slugging percentagein 31games.[3]After the 2000 season, theSeibu Lionsof theJapan Pacific Leaguepurchased his contract from Arizona.[4]

In 2001, Cabrera batted.282, with 49 home runs and 124 RBI. He was even better in 2002, with a.336 batting average, 55 home runs, and 115 RBI, winning thePacific League's MVP award.His 55 home runs tied Japan's single-season record, equaling the mark set bySadaharu Ohin 1964 and matched by former MLB playerTuffy Rhodesin 2001. Cabrera stated that he was unable to break the record because pitchers threw him very few strikes after hitting his 55th home run.[4]Wladimir Balentien,playing for theYakult Swallows,later broke the home run record, hitting 60 home runs in 2013.[5]

In 2003, Cabrera hit an impressive 50 home runs with 112 RBIs, while batting.324 for Seibu. Injuries limited him to 64 games in 2004, with 25 home runs and 62 RBIs.[6]

On October 26, 2004, Cabrera hit a two-run towering homer as the Seibu Lions defeated theChunichi Dragons7–2 in Game 7 of theJapan Seriesto win their first championship since 1992. The ball bounced off the glass-enclosed private boxes above theleft fieldseats at the Nagoya Dome. It was Cabrera's third home run of the series. He also hit agrand slamand a two-run homer in Game 3.

In six seasons with the Lions, Cabrera was a.308 hitter with 246 home runs and 605 RBI in 708 games.

In January 2008, Cabrera signed a one-year contract with theOrix Buffaloes.The contract reportedly required that Cabrera pass a drug test when he reported to the team in February.[7]He obtainedfree agencyrights following the 2009 season after playing 8 years in Japan, thereby removing the designation as a "foreign player," becoming the fourth non-Japanese player to obtain such classification in NPB.[8]

In three seasons with Orix (2008–10), Cabrera slugged a combined 73 home runs and produced 225 RBIs. Cabrera's career in NPB ended with 97 games over two seasons for theFukuoka SoftBank Hawksin 2011 and 2012.

After leaving Japan, Cabrera continued to play professionalwinter league baseballforTiburones de La Guairain his native Venezuela. In 59 games during the 2013–14 season, Cabrera batted.391, with a record-setting 21 home runs. He broke the league single season home run record set byBo Diaz,who hit 20 home runs in 1979–80.[9]Cabrera played 14 games forRojos del Aguila de Veracruzin theMexican Leaguein April 2014 at the age of 42, batting.404 and hitting 4 home runs. He continued to play in the LVBP until 2016–2017, playing his final year withTigres de Aragua.[6]

Steroid and performance enhancing drug allegations

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On December 13, 2007, Cabrera was linked to steroid use in theMitchell Report,one of many MLB players so identified. The report detailed an incident in September 2000 when Cabrera was playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Team officials found a package that contained a vial of what they suspected to be anabolic steroids and several hundred pills. Clubhouse attendants claimed the package was intended for Cabrera. The contents of the package were tested and it was determined that the vial contained the anabolic steroid Winstrol, but the pills were legal, over-the-counter diet pills. Before the tests came back, however, Cabrera's contract had been sold to the Seibu Lions, so he was never tested for steroid use. Cabrera denied knowing why the package had been addressed to him.[10]

After the report came out, Cabrera denied ever using steroids.

"I couldn't have used the substances that are identified. I never had possession of the alleged box that supposedly contained the pharmaceutical drugs."[11][12]

During his career in Japan, Cabrera never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.[13]In 2013, he stated that he never injected himself with drugs or was smoking drugs.[14]

In 2014, Cabrera tested positive forstanozolol,which ended his career in the Mexican League.[15]A Mexican sports court later suspended his permanent ban from the league.[16]

In 2016, Cabrera tested positive foradderallwhile playing in the LVBP. His suspension was overturned by a Venezuelan court later in 2016.[17][18]He tested positive for stanozolol in December 2016, receiving a 50 game suspension from the LVBP.[19][20]

Personal life

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Cabrera's sonRamónis also a professional baseball player. The younger Cabrera, a switch-hittingcatcher,signed with thePittsburgh Piratesorganization in 2008, at the age of 18.[21]Ramón made his major league debut with theCincinnati Redson September 5, 2015.[22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Houston Astros vs Arizona Diamondbacks Box Score: June 26, 2000".Baseball-Reference.RetrievedAugust 9,2024.
  2. ^"Cabrera homers in first at-bat | 06/26/2000".MLB.RetrievedAugust 12,2024.
  3. ^"Álex Cabrera Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More".Baseball-Reference.RetrievedAugust 9,2024.
  4. ^abCaple, Jim (November 18, 2022)."For Cabrera, 55 was the limit in Japan".ESPN.RetrievedAugust 9,2024.
  5. ^Armstrong, Jim (September 13, 2013)."Wladimir Balentien Breaks Sadaharu Oh's Single-Season Home Run Record In Japan".The Huffington Post.Archived fromthe originalon September 19, 2013.RetrievedAugust 9,2024.
  6. ^ab"Alex Cabrera Minor, Mexican, CPBL, Japanese & Winter Leagues Statistics".Baseball-Reference.RetrievedAugust 9,2024.
  7. ^"Cabrera stays in Japan league, joins Orix for $2.2 million".ESPN.January 9, 2008.Archivedfrom the original on January 12, 2008.RetrievedJanuary 9,2008.
  8. ^Melesky, Scott (October 30, 2020)."NPB 300 Home Run Club: #29 - Alex Cabrera, 357 Home Runs (2001-2012)".JapanBall.RetrievedAugust 9,2024.
  9. ^"Alex Cabrera breaks Venezuelan HR record".ESPN.December 23, 2013.RetrievedAugust 9,2024.
  10. ^"Mitchell Report pp. 94-5"(PDF).
  11. ^"Ex-D'back Alex Cabrera denies steroid use".USA Today.December 16, 2007.RetrievedDecember 26,2007.
  12. ^"Alex Cabrera frente al informe Mitchell".Caracas Lions.December 14, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon December 25, 2007.RetrievedDecember 26,2007.
  13. ^White, Paul (December 24, 2007)."Ripple effect felt in Japan over Mitchell Report".USA Today.RetrievedDecember 26,2007.
  14. ^Sojo, Ormúz Jesús (October 28, 2013)."Alex Cabrera:" Decían que no servía para esto "".Liderendeportes(in Spanish). Archived fromthe originalon April 28, 2014.RetrievedAugust 12,2024.
  15. ^"Alex Cabrera suspendido de por vida en México por dopaje".Desde la Plaza(in Spanish). May 7, 2014.RetrievedAugust 12,2024.
  16. ^"El venezolano Cabrera acuerda con el Aguila de Veracruz seguir inactivo".San Diego Union-Tribune(in Spanish). July 24, 2014.RetrievedAugust 12,2024.
  17. ^"#ESPECIAL Alex Cabrera: Entre el dopaje y los tribunales".El Impulso(in Spanish). November 2, 2016.RetrievedAugust 12,2024.
  18. ^"El TSJ suspendió sanción por dopaje contra Álex Cabrera"[THE TSJ SUSPENDED A DOPING SANCTION AGAINST ÁLEX CABRERA].La Iguana.March 23, 2016. Archived fromthe originalon March 23, 2016.RetrievedAugust 12,2024.
  19. ^Hernández, Favio (May 19, 2017)."LVBP suspendió a Alex Cabrera por 50 partidos debido a dopaje | La Nación Deportes".La Nación Deportes(in Spanish).RetrievedAugust 12,2024.
  20. ^"LVBP suspendió por 50 juegos a Álex Cabrera por dopaje".Diario Contraste Noticias(in Spanish). May 15, 2017.RetrievedAugust 12,2024.
  21. ^Spotrac."Ramón Cabrera | MLB".spotrac.RetrievedAugust 9,2024.
  22. ^Badler, Ben.International Signing Roundup: NL Central",Baseball America, published October 13, 2008.
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