Police look into fight involving Tigers 1B Cabrera

Oct 5, 2009 - 10:35 PM By MIKE HOUSEHOLDER Associated Press Writer

BIRMINGHAM, Mich.(AP) -- Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera was drunk - three times above Michigan's legal limit for driving, according to police - between two key games over the weekend as his team was trying to win the American League Central title.

The 26-year-old Venezuelan first baseman was taken to a police station Saturday after arriving at his suburban Detroit home at 5 a.m. and getting into a fight with his wife, Birmingham Police Chief Richard Patterson said.

Cabrera went 0-for-4 and stranded six runners in a 5-1 loss to Chicago on Saturday night, a game that started about 12 hours after Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski picked him up at the station.

On Friday night, Cabrera had gone 0-for-4 and left four runners on base in an 8-0 loss to the White Sox. Cabrera went hitless in three at-bats on Sunday, a 5-3 Tigers win.

Detroit finished the regular season tied with the Twins for first place in the American League Central. The teams will play Tuesday in Minnesota, with the winner advancing to the playoffs.

Dombrowski had no comment when contacted Monday by The Associated Press.

"I have had a conversation with Miguel," the Detroit GM wrote in an e-mail over the weekend. "It is a personal situation, and I am not at liberty to discuss it further."

Cabrera, who hit .323 with 33 home runs and 101 RBIs this year, is in the second season of an eight-year, $152.3 million contract.

"There was an incident that took place on Saturday, and it is a personal matter," Cabrera said in a written statement released Monday by the Tigers. "I am sorry this has become a distraction, and I apologize to the Tigers, my teammates, and all of the fans. I would appreciate it if you would respect my family's privacy as I prepare for our next game."

No charges will be filed, and both Cabreras refused medical attention, Patterson said.

"We determined that they both contributed to the domestic assault," the chief said. "It was minor in nature. They did have some marks on their faces. We could not determine who the aggressor was."

Patterson said Rosangel Cabrera called 911 at 6 a.m. Saturday, requesting police assistance.

According to a police report, Miguel Cabrera "suffered an injury to the left side of his face" and his wife "suffered an injury to her lower lip." Miguel Cabrera's gold neck chain was broken and a cell phone was damaged.

His wife "was upset when Miguel came home intoxicated, woke up their child and was talking on the phone," the report says.

Rosangel Cabrera asked that her husband leave the house, so officers took him to the police station, Patterson said. Cabrera was administered a breath test by police and registered a 0.26 blood-alcohol reading, the chief said. The legal limit for Michigan drivers is 0.08.

"Mr. Cabrera was very uncooperative and highly intoxicated," the police report says.

Cabrera, who is listed at 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, was picked up at the station by Dombrowski around 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

Patterson said officers also investigated an incident involving Cabrera earlier this year at the Townsend Hotel, which is a common destination for visiting professional sports teams.

That time, Patterson said, Cabrera got into an argument with a young man, telling him he was "overweight and needed to work out."

Another person at the bar took offense to Cabrera's comments and called police, who investigated. No charges were filed.

"It was a nothing incident," Patterson said.

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AP Sports Writer Larry Lage contributed to this report.