Another second-half swoon for Indians' Cabrera
Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera returned to the lineup Friday night and had two of the Indians' 10 hits in
their 6-3 loss to Kansas City. Cabrera missed Thursday's game due to a sprained right wrist.
Overall it has been another quiet second half of the season for Cabrera, which is becoming a pattern for
him. Cabrera has made the American League All-Star team in each of the last two years, but his batting
average has plummeted in the second half of each of the last two years.
Cabrera this year was hitting .286 with 11 home runs and 42 RBI at the All-Star break. Since the break,
however, he is hitting .249 with four home runs and 17 RBI.
In 2011, Cabrera was hitting .293 with a .347 on-base percentage at the All-Star break. After the break,
he hit .244 with a .310 on-base percentage. Not surprisingly, Cabrera's poor second halves the last two
years have coincided with equally poor second halves by his team.
The 26-year-old switch hitter is considered one of the Indians' leaders, and manager Manny Acta believes
Cabrera probably has the highest baseball IQ on the team. When Cabrera is playing well, the Indians tend to
play well. When Cabrera isn't playing well, the Indians frequently struggle.
That was the case in the second half last year and it's been the case in the second half this season.
The Indians don't have many impact bats in their lineup, but one of them belongs to Cabrera. Their offense
depends on getting production out of him. That production hasn't been there in the second half this season.
