Terry Foster: Miguel Cabrera's Drinking Hits Close To Home
Uncle James was a cool dude. He used to take us kids fishing on the banks of the Detroit River. He'd say, "Come on fishy, fishy."
He played catch with us in front of his house with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, fumbling the simple task of transferring the ball from glove to hand. That was sober Uncle James.
The drunk Uncle James was a different guy. He cursed and screamed at no one in particular and complained how the white man did him wrong. He sometimes was violent and I sometimes feared what he'd do with the gun he had stashed under a mattress. He was a small man with big problems.
This Miguel Cabrera saga that is playing out in the police blotter and media brings back bad memories. There is the kind and gentle Miguel Cabrera that flashes a ready smile. And then there is mean Miggy who curses people and threatens to kill them.
Miggy is not a friendly drunk. He becomes mean spirited and aggressive. It is very hard to defend Cabrera as a guy that just had a bad night.
