BIRMINGHAM, Mich. — Detroit Tigers
first baseman Miguel Cabrera was taken to a police station over the
weekend after coming home drunk and getting into a fight with his wife
at their suburban Detroit home, authorities said Monday.
Birmingham police chief Richard
Patterson said Rosangel Cabrera called 911 at 6 a.m. Saturday,
requesting police assistance. An alcohol test found that Miguel Cabrera
was at three times the legal limit for driving, police said.
No charges will be filed and both Cabreras refused medical attention.
"We determined that they both
contributed to the domestic assault," Patterson said. "It was minor in
nature. They did have some marks on their faces. We could not determine
who the aggressor was."
Cabrera, who hit .323 with 33 home
runs and 101 RBIs this season, is in the second season of an
eight-year, $152.3 million contract he signed after Detroit acquired
him in a blockbuster trade with the Florida Marlins.
"There was an incident that took
place on Saturday, and it is a personal matter," Cabrera said in a
written statement Monday released 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."
Cabrera, 26, was the best hitter this
season for Detroit. But on Friday night, with the Tigers desperately
trying to wrap up the American League Central title, he went 0-for-4
and stranded four runners on base in an 8-0 loss to the White Sox. On
Saturday night, he again went 0-for-4 and left six runners on base in a
5-1 loss to Chicago.
It wasn't known where Cabrera went after Friday's game.
"He did not say exactly where he was
at," the chief said. "We learned that he was possibly at the local
hotel with [a] … player from another team, the White Sox. Now, that
hasn't been verified, nor are we in the process of verifying that, but
obviously he had been drinking and that's what we had heard."
"I'm focused on one thing — the
game," Cabrera said Sunday when asked about the facial injuries. Tigers
manager Jim Leyland didn't want to talk about the issue Sunday.
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, Patterson said. The legal
limit for Michigan drivers is 0.08.
Cabrera was picked up at the station
by Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski around 7:30 a.m. Dombrowski
declined comment Monday when contacted 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."
The Tigers finished the regular
season tied the Twins for first place in the American League Central.
The teams will play Tuesday in Minnesota, with the winner advancing to
the playoffs.