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Veteran shortstop Orlando Cabrera is hanging them up after a 15-year career that saw him win a World Series, and also do other things.
Jan 18, 2012 - Last season, Orlando Cabrera batted .238 with the Indians and Giants, posting a 61 OPS+. The season before that, he posted a 76 OPS+. The season before that, he posted an 85 OPS+. Orlando Cabrera has been declining, and just turned 37 years old. As a free agent, Cabrera didn't drum up much interest, which I'm guessing is why he's intending to hang 'em up. Enrique Rojas:
Orlando Cabrera to retire from baseball, he said in Colombia radio station. Thanks for memories!
Cabrera had a long career that'll be difficult to forget. He debuted with the Expos in 1997, and remained there until the giant Nomar Garciaparra three-way trade in 2004. That year, with the Red Sox, Cabrera won a World Series. He wound up with the Angels, earning the unfortunate nickname "The Wizard of O.C.", and then he wound up with the White Sox, and the A's, and the Twins, and the Reds, and the Indians, and the Giants ... He remained a shortstop to the end, and collected 2,055 hits. He will always be remembered as a pest. An absolute pest.
A few years ago I was hanging out in a bar in downtown Montreal, near the Centre Bell. I paid a trip to the restroom, as one is wont to do in such a setting, and paused in front of this picture in the hallway:
Orlando Cabrera, as an Expo. Mark Kotsay, as a Marlin, elbowing Expo Orlando Cabrera in the nads. I included this picture in this post because I figured I could use it to go somewhere profound. I'm struggling to go somewhere profound. Orlando Cabrera is retiring. He played a lot of years. He hit a lot of hits. One time Mark Kotsay elbowed him in the junk. Orlando Cabrera had a full career.
7 comments
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Comments
My favorite thing about Orlando Cabrera is that he INSTANTLY untucked his shirt as soon as the game ended.
Final out settled into the fielder’s glove? BOOM. Shirt fully out. Every shot of Orlando Cabrera in the congratulatory welcome for the walkoff hit shows him with his shirt out.
Also he looks like a pissed Chihuahua in a lot of his headshots.
by Eyebrows on Jan 18, 2012 8:27 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Angels win? Cool, whatever. FUCK work though, eh guys?
by Eyebrows on Jan 18, 2012 8:29 PM EST up reply actions 6 recs
Aww we lost....bummer I guess. But at least I get to untuck this fucking shirt.
by Eyebrows on Jan 18, 2012 8:32 PM EST up reply actions 7 recs
Basically, he retired because he was tired of The Man's bullshit.
by Eyebrows on Jan 18, 2012 8:34 PM EST up reply actions 5 recs
at least hes consistent
"God has blessed me and I will continue to do my best for him. This is more important than anything I could do in baseball." -Albert Pujols
by shortstopv2 on Jan 19, 2012 2:52 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
I got to see him
hit his final career home run in person. I wasn’t technically rooting for him, and I was aware of the scarcity of his homers, so it caused me to yell not very nice things at Joe Saunders.
Goodnight, sweet prince.
Founder of the 'Foundation for the Advancement of Clefoing' a 501C3
by Clefo on Jan 18, 2012 10:05 PM EST reply actions
Thank you, Orlando
You came, you gave us a World Series. You left, you gave us Jacoby Ellsbury. We are forever grateful, man. That was a fun three months.
by steel sox on Jan 19, 2012 5:15 AM EST reply actions
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