Triple trouble, or, why the media can blow me

OUTSTANDING CD from a great group, by the way--check it out!

Last night Miguel Cabrera earned MLB's first Triple Crown in 45 years.  Hold on, I'm gonna let that sink in for a minute, because I don't think enough people are paying attention to the fact that MIGUEL CABRERA JUST EARNED THE FIRST TRIPLE CROWN IN 45 YEARS.  Do people somehow not realize that this is sort of a big deal because it's happened just 16 times since 1878, and just four times since the 1950s?  Show of hands:  how many of you were alive when Yaz did it in '67?  And now how many of you were actually old enough and interested enough to follow baseball then?

This is simply one of the greatest individual batting accomplishments I've seen since I've been alive.  There have been others, to be sure:  two grand slams in one inning (which will NEVER be broken, maybe not even tied), 50-70 HR in a season (with, um, varying degrees of, you know, um, "assistance") and a new single-season hits record.  But can you really grasp how great of a season you have to have to lead the league in HR, RBI and AVG?  Not one of those stats implies a player is adept at doing well in another, especially nowadays when most sluggers are given a free pass on striking out 150-plus times because at least it's not a double play!

I can't help but admit that I'm very biased about this because Cabrera's playing for my hometown team, but, man, this is the biggest East Cost Bias incident ESPN is guilty of since every other day of their existence.  I mean, Detroit capped off a shaky season with a second consecutive playoff berth, and almost all of that is due to Cabrera overcoming his alcohol issues and selflessly moving to a tricky position, then putting up one of the greatest offensive seasons ever.

I guess I'm frustrated as much because I know if Josh Hamilton had won the thing (which he's certainly capable of, no argument there), everybody would be fawning over him and saying what a great story he was.  This is Josh "My anti-drug is God...and MORE DRUGS" Hamilton.  I think Cabrera deserved every bit of criticism and loss of respect for his multiple embarrassing arrests, but it looks like he finally has things under control and has been a rock solid, model teammate who's embraced his responsibility as the team's major run-producer.  So clearly I don't understand the apparent prejudice against the guy, but maybe he's just a victim of playing his home games in "flyover country."

Ok, that's my "The media can blow me" rant, so now it's time to celebrate!  Well, where to begin?  How about, WHAT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT!  We knew Cabrera was capable of putting up above-average numbers in any of those three categories, but man was he just dominant this year.  Considering he held the average and RBI titles by reasonable-to-comfortable margins, his Sherman's March Through the South home run tear was especially impressive--even more so because it came at a time where Detroit needed every run from him it could get during a pressure-filled playoff push.  I am nothing short of impressed with everything he's done this year, and if he isn't handed the MVP in a few weeks, it'll be a travesty.  Congrats on your individual and team accomplishments this year, Miguel, and I hope you'll cap this year off the way you did in 2003!

GO TIGERS!