Cabrera looks to be a short stop with Sox
CLEVELAND -- Orlando Cabrera might be a good baseball player, but he continues to look like a bad fit for the White Sox.
After the 33-year-old shortstop's latest escapade, don't be surprised if Cabrera is either traded before the end of the season or headed to the free-agent market without a contract offer from the Sox.
It was quite a scene Tuesday at Progressive Field before the White Sox lost to the Indians 8-2.
As manager Ozzie Guillen talked with reporters about Cabrera twice phoning official scorers during games this season to complain about error calls, another newcomer -- relief pitcher Octavio Dotel -- and director of conditioning Allen Thomas had to be separated after exchanging heated words during the team stretch.
Say this about the Sox, they aren't boring.
"All I know is I want exclusive rights to all networks that are there (in Cleveland) filming this soap opera so I can make it into a reality show,'' said White Sox general manager Kenny Williams, who is not on the road trip.
After Williams acquired Cabrera for starting pitcher Jon Garland in a Nov. 19 trade with the Los Angeles Angels, he said: "We saw an opportunity to acquire one of the best shortstops in the game and one of the smartest in the game.''
That may be true, but Cabrera has never appeared comfortable since joining the Sox. The two-time Gold Glover was nearly invisible during spring training, and he consistently has been the first player out of the clubhouse since the season started.
That can be overlooked, but Cabrera didn't exactly endear himself to Guillen two weeks ago when he said this about Mike Scioscia, his manager from 2005-07 with the Angels:
"With all due respect to managers around the game, I think Scioscia is on another level. This guy, he dominates the opponent, the thinking, all the things that they do, the scouting reports, he has an advantage. I think he's the smartest guy in the game right now, no doubt.''
Cabrera had nothing to say -- except to the Chicago Tribune -- on Tuesday about calling the official scorers.
Needless to say, the act of trying to get errors taken away did not go over well in the White Sox' clubhouse.
As for Guillen, he tried to support Cabrera as much as possible.
"Everything we ask him to do, he's doing it,'' Guillen said. "You've got to think about it. It's his first year here. He doesn't know how we do things here and he doesn't know too many of the players here. He's going to be uncomfortable.
"He's trying to be the leader when he shouldn't have to. We have so many guys here who have played so many years with the White Sox. He doesn't feel left out, but you aren't going to jump in right away and say, 'I'm the guy here.' ''
Guillen said he hasn't talked to Cabrera about calling the official scorers. Williams said the issue has been addressed.
"Am I aware of some of the stuff that has been going on with Cabrera? Yes,'' Williams said. "I also know it has been addressed to him face to face. The one thing Mr. Cabrera needs to know about Ozzie is he has faults, and his No. 1 fault is that he protects his players too much.
"If Orlando doesn't understand that, he needs to talk to his neighbors.''
Question is, will Cabrera's neighbors talk to him?