Benched on Monday for a variety of minor transgressions, Florida LF Miguel Cabrera probably said “fuck” (as opposed to “forget”), as quoted by the Palm Beach Post’s Carlos Frias.
“When I was first coming up, you were never late, never said anything. It’s a rule,” said 13-year veteran Jeff Conine. “You show up on time and work hard, nobody will say anything to you.”
Baseball players police their own, and Conine said it is time for a veteran to have a heart-to-heart with Cabrera.
“Something probably should be said at some point by someone,” Conine said. “You hope that’s all it has to be said, is once.”
Cabrera bristled at the prospect of a lecture.
“(Forget) the veterans,” he said, momentarily breaking into English to deliver an expletive. “They haven’t told me anything and they better not come tell me anything, either.
“I don’t want to hear anything else. I want to play baseball, give what I have to give on the field of play, and win. That’s all I want. . . .
“Everyone here is a grown man,” he continued. “Everyone knows what he’s doing. And I’m not going to go crazy worrying about these things.”
Manager Jack McKeon brushed off Cabrera’s comments.
“He’s only saying that because of being benched. He’ll be fine,” McKeon said. “He’ll get over that. He’s a great kid.”