View source for Alex Cabrera

{{short description|Venezuelan baseball player (born 1971)}}
{{about|the athlete|the guitarist|Bridge to Grace}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
| image = Alex Cabrera 2011.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = Cabrera with the [[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]] in 2011
| name = Alex Cabrera
| position = [[First baseman]] / [[Coach (baseball)|Coach]]
| team = Marineros de Carabobo
| number = 
| bats = Right
| throws = Right
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|12|24}}
| birth_place = [[Caripito]], [[Monagas State]], [[Venezuela]]
| debutleague = [[MLB]]
| debutdate = June 26
| debutyear = 2000
| debutteam = [[Arizona Diamondbacks]]
| finalleague = MLB
| finaldate = September 30
| finalyear = 2000
| finalteam = [[Arizona Diamondbacks]]
| debut2league = [[NPB]]
| debut2date = March 24
| debut2year = 2001
| debut2team = [[Saitama Seibu Lions|Seibu Lions]]
| final2league = NPB
| final2date = June 17
| final2year = 2012
| final2team = [[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]]
| stat2league = MLB
| stat21label = Batting average
| stat21value = .263
| stat22label = Home runs
| stat22value = 5
| stat23label = Runs batted in
| stat23value = 14
| stat3league = NPB
| stat31label = Batting average
| stat31value = .303
| stat32label = Home runs
| stat32value = 357
| stat33label = Runs batted in
| stat33value = 949
| teams = *[[Arizona Diamondbacks]] ({{mlby|2000}})
*[[Saitama Seibu Lions|Seibu Lions]] ({{npby|2001}}&ndash;{{npby|2007}})
*[[Orix Buffaloes]] ({{npby|2008}}&ndash;{{npby|2010}})
*[[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]] ({{npby|2011}}&ndash;{{npby|2012}})
| highlights         = * 5× [[Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Game|NPB All-Star]] (2001-2003, 2006, 2007)
* 5× [[Best Nine Award]] (2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010)
* [[Mitsui Golden Glove Award|Golden Glove Award]] (2008)
* [[Nippon Professional Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|Pacific League MVP]] (2002)
* 2× [[Japan Series]] champion ([[2004 Japan Series|2004]], [[2011 Japan Series|2011]])
}}
'''Alexander Alberto Cabrera''' (born December 24, 1971) is a [[Venezuela]]n former [[first baseman]] and [[right-handed]] batter who played in 2000 for the [[Arizona Diamondbacks]] in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) and for 12 seasons in [[Nippon Professional Baseball]] (NPB). He also played several seasons in the [[Mexican League]] and the [[Venezuelan Professional Baseball League]] (LVBP). He is the [[Coach (baseball)|hitting coach]] for the [[Marineros de Carabobo]] of the [[Venezuelan Major League]].

After his one season in MLB, Cabrera enjoyed great success in Japan. He tied a single-season home run record, hitting 55 home runs in 2002 and winning the [[Pacific League]] MVP. He was also a five-time All-Star in Japan. However, he tested positive for [[Performance-enhancing substance|performance-enhancing drugs]] several times and faced additional accusations of using steroids.

==Career==
Cabrera signed with the [[Chicago Cubs]] as an amateur [[free agent]] in 1991 and played in their minor league system through 1996. He moved to the [[Mexican League]], playing for [[Potros de Minatitlán]] and [[Tigres Capitalinos]] in 1997 and returning to the Tigres in 1998.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Alex Cabrera Minor, Mexican, CPBL, Japanese & Winter Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=cabrer001ale |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He attended spring training with the [[Tampa Bay Rays|Tampa Bay Devil Rays]] before the 1998 season.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 15, 1998 |title=Tampa Bay Devil Rays Spring Training Roster |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/02/15/tampa-bay-devil-rays-spring-training-roster/ |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=Tampa Bay Times |language=}}</ref> He played for the [[Chinatrust Whales|Koos Group Whales]] in the [[Chinese Professional Baseball League|CPBL]] in [[Taiwan]] in 1999, then signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2000.<ref name=":1" />

After nine seasons in the minors, Cabrera finally reached the majors with the Diamondbacks. A muscular slugger, Cabrera hit a [[home run]] in his first [[at-bat]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Houston Astros vs Arizona Diamondbacks Box Score: June 26, 2000 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ARI/ARI200006260.shtml |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cabrera homers in first at-bat {{!}} 06/26/2000 |url=https://www.mlb.com/video/cabrera-homers-in-first-at-bat-c1875037683 |access-date=2024-08-12 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref> He ended the 2000 MLB season with a .262 [[batting average (baseball)|average]], five home runs, 14 [[Run batted in|RBI]], 10 [[Run (baseball)|runs]], and a .500 [[slugging percentage]] in 31 [[Games played|games]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Álex Cabrera Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cabreal02.shtml |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> 

=== Seibu Lions ===
After the 2000 season, the [[Saitama Seibu Lions|Seibu Lions]] of the [[Pacific League|Japan Pacific League]] purchased his contract from Arizona.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Caple |first=Jim |author-link=Jim Caple |date=November 18, 2022 |title=For Cabrera, 55 was the limit in Japan |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/columns/caple_jim/1462474.html |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=[[ESPN.com]]}}</ref>

In 2001, Cabrera batted .282, with 49 home runs and 124 RBI. He was even better in 2002, with a .336 batting average, 55 home runs, and 115 RBI, winning the [[Nippon Professional Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|Pacific League's MVP award]]. His 55 home runs tied Japan's single-season record, equaling the mark set by [[Sadaharu Oh]] in 1964 and matched by former MLB player [[Tuffy Rhodes]] in 2001. Cabrera stated that he was unable to break the record because pitchers threw him very few strikes after hitting his 55th home run.<ref name=":0" /> [[Wladimir Balentien]] later broke the home run record, hitting 60 home runs in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Armstrong |first=Jim |date=2013-09-13 |title=Wladimir Balentien Breaks Sadaharu Oh's Single-Season Home Run Record In Japan |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/15/wladimir-balentien-home-run-record-sadaharu-oh_n_3930445.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130919010126/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/15/wladimir-balentien-home-run-record-sadaharu-oh_n_3930445.html |archive-date=2013-09-19 |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=[[The Huffington Post]]}}</ref>

In 2003, Cabrera hit 50 home runs with 112 RBIs, while batting .324 for Seibu. Injuries limited him to 64 games in 2004, with 25 home runs and 62 RBIs. On October 26, 2004, Cabrera hit a two-run towering homer as the Seibu Lions defeated the [[Chunichi Dragons]] 7–2 in Game 7 of the [[2004 Japan Series|Japan Series]] to win their first championship since 1992. The ball bounced off the glass-enclosed private boxes above the [[left field]] seats at the [[Vantelin Dome Nagoya|Nagoya Dome]]. It was Cabrera's third home run of the series. He also hit a [[Grand slam (baseball)|grand slam]] and a two-run homer in Game 3.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=October 25, 2004 |title=Cabrera leads baseball Lions to Japan Series title |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/cabrera-leads-baseball-lions-to-japan-series-title-1.472369 |work=CBC}}</ref>

In six seasons with the Lions, Cabrera was a .308 hitter with 246 home runs and 605 RBI in 708 games.<ref name=":1" />

=== Orix Buffaloes ===
In January 2008, Cabrera signed a one-year contract with the [[Orix Buffaloes]]. The contract reportedly required that Cabrera pass a drug test when he reported to the team in February.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 9, 2008 |title=Cabrera stays in Japan league, joins Orix for $2.2&nbsp;million |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=3187959 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112085255/http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3187959 |archive-date=January 12, 2008 |access-date=January 9, 2008 |publisher=[[ESPN]] |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> He obtained [[free agency (sports)|free agency]] rights following the 2009 season after playing 8 years in Japan, thereby removing the designation as a "foreign player," becoming the fourth non-Japanese player to obtain such classification in NPB.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Melesky |first=Scott |date=2020-10-30 |title=NPB 300 Home Run Club: #29 - Alex Cabrera, 357 Home Runs (2001-2012) |url=https://japanball.com/articles-features/japanese-baseball-historical-profiles/npb-300-home-run-club-countdown/29-alex-cabrera/ |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=JapanBall |language=en-US}}</ref>

In three seasons with Orix from 2008 through 2010, Cabrera slugged 73 home runs with 225 RBIs. Cabrera's career in NPB ended with 97 games over two seasons for the [[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]] in 2011 and 2012.

=== Mexican and Venezuelan leagues ===
After leaving Japan, Cabrera continued to play professional [[winter league baseball]] for [[Tiburones de La Guaira]] in his native Venezuela. In 59 games during the 2013–14 season, Cabrera batted .391, with a record-setting 21 home runs (currently shared with [[Renato Núñez]], who tied the record in 2024). Cabrera broke the league single season home run record set by [[Bo Díaz]], who hit 20 home runs in 1979–80.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-12-23 |title=Alex Cabrera breaks Venezuelan HR record |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/10183027/alex-cabrera-breaks-venezuelan-home-run-record |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref> Cabrera played 14 games for [[El Águila de Veracruz|Rojos del Aguila de Veracruz]] in the [[Mexican League]] in April 2014 at the age of 42, batting .404 and hitting 4 home runs. He continued to play in the [[Venezuelan Professional Baseball League|Venezuelan winter league]] until 2016–2017, playing 4 games in his final season with [[Tigres de Aragua]].<ref name=":1" />

In May 2025, Cabrera joined [[Clemente Álvarez]]'s coaching staff as the hitting coach for the [[Marineros de Carabobo]] of the [[Venezuelan Major League]], a summer professional league.<ref>{{cite web|first=José Ángel|last=Rodríguez|title=Clemente Álvarez vuelve a dirigir en el beisbol venezolano y recluta a Álex Cabrera como coach de bateo|url=https://elemergente.com/2025/05/clemente-alvarez-vuelve-a-dirigir-en-el-beisbol-venezolano-y-recluta-a-alex-cabrera-como-coach-de-bateo.html|website=El Emergente|date=7 May 2025|access-date=5 June 2025|language=es}}</ref>

==Steroid and performance-enhancing drug allegations==
On December 13, 2007, Cabrera was linked to steroid use in the [[Mitchell Report (baseball)|Mitchell Report]], one of many MLB players so identified. The report detailed an incident in September 2000 when Cabrera on the Arizona Diamondbacks. Team officials found a package that contained a vial of what they suspected to be anabolic steroids and several hundred pills. Clubhouse attendants claimed the package was intended for Cabrera. The contents of the package were tested, and it was determined that the vial contained the anabolic steroid Winstrol, but the pills were legal, over-the-counter diet pills. Before the tests came back, however, Cabrera's contract had been sold to the Seibu Lions, so he was never tested for steroid use. Cabrera denied knowing why the package had been addressed to him.<ref>{{Cite web| url = https://assets.espn.go.com/media/pdf/071213/mitchell_report.pdf | title = Mitchell Report pp. 94-5}}</ref>

After the report came out, Cabrera denied ever using steroids.<blockquote>''"I couldn't have used the substances that are identified. I never had possession of the alleged box that supposedly contained the pharmaceutical drugs."''<ref>{{Cite news
|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2007-12-15-cabrera-mitchell-report_N.htm?csp=34
|title=Ex-D'back Alex Cabrera denies steroid use |date=December 16, 2007 |work=USA Today  | access-date=December 26, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
 |url         = http://www.leones.com/detalle_noticia.php?id=169
 |title       = Alex Cabrera frente al informe Mitchell
 |date        = December 14, 2007
 |publisher   = [[Caracas Lions]]
 |access-date  = December 26, 2007
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20071225091352/http://www.leones.com/detalle_noticia.php?id=169
 |archive-date = December 25, 2007
 |url-status     = dead
 |df          = mdy-all
}}</ref></blockquote>

During his career in Japan, Cabrera never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.<ref>{{Cite news
|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2007-12-23-japan-mitchell-report_N.htm?csp=34
|title=Ripple effect felt in Japan over Mitchell Report |date=December 24, 2007 |work=USA Today  | access-date=December 26, 2007 | first=Paul | last=White}}</ref> In 2013, he stated that he never injected himself with or smoked drugs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sojo |first=Ormúz Jesús |date=2013-10-28 |title=Alex Cabrera: "Decían que no servía para esto" |url=http://www.liderendeportes.com/noticias/beisbol/alex-cabrera---decian-que-no-servia-para-esto-.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140428020045/http://www.liderendeportes.com/noticias/beisbol/alex-cabrera---decian-que-no-servia-para-esto-.aspx |archive-date=April 28, 2014 |access-date=2024-08-12 |website=Liderendeportes.com |language=es}}</ref>

In 2014, Cabrera tested positive for [[stanozolol]], which ended his career in the Mexican League.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=7 May 2014 |title=Alex Cabrera suspendido de por vida en México por dopaje |url=https://www.desdelaplaza.com/deportes/alex-cabrera-suspendido-vida-mexico-dopaje/ |access-date=2024-08-12 |website=Desde la Plaza |language=es}}</ref> A Mexican sports court later suspended his permanent ban from the league.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-07-24 |title=El venezolano Cabrera acuerda con el Aguila de Veracruz seguir inactivo |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2014/07/24/el-venezolano-cabrera-acuerda-con-el-guila-de-veracruz-seguir-inactivo/ |access-date=2024-08-12 |website=San Diego Union-Tribune |language=es}}</ref>

In 2016, Cabrera tested positive for [[adderall]] while playing in the LVBP. His suspension was overturned by a Venezuelan court later in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2016-11-02 |title=#ESPECIAL Alex Cabrera: Entre el dopaje y los tribunales |url=https://www.elimpulso.com/2016/11/02/especial-alex-cabrera-dopaje-los-tribunales/ |access-date=2024-08-12 |website=El Impulso |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-03-23 |title=El TSJ suspendió sanción por dopaje contra Álex Cabrera |trans-title=THE TSJ SUSPENDED A DOPING SANCTION AGAINST ÁLEX CABRERA |url=https://www.laiguana.tv/articulos/23102-tsj-alexa-cabrera-dopaje/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323230619/https://www.laiguana.tv/articulos/23102-tsj-alexa-cabrera-dopaje/ |archive-date=23 March 2016 |access-date=2024-08-12 |website=La Iguana}}</ref> He tested positive for stanozolol in December 2016, receiving a 50-game suspension from the LVBP.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hernández |first=Favio |date=2017-05-19 |title=LVBP suspendió a Alex Cabrera por 50 partidos debido a dopaje {{!}} La Nación Deportes |url=https://lanaciondeportes.com/beisbol/lvbp-suspendio-a-alex-cabrera-por-50-partidos-debido-a-dopaje/ |access-date=2024-08-12 |website=La Nación Deportes |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-05-15 |title=LVBP suspendió por 50 juegos a Álex Cabrera por dopaje |url=https://www.diariocontraste.com/2017/05/lvbp-suspendio-por-50-juegos-a-alex-cabrera-por-dopaje/ |access-date=2024-08-12 |website=Diario Contraste Noticias |language=es}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Cabrera's son [[Ramón Cabrera (baseball)|Ramón]] also played in Major League Baseball. The younger Cabrera, a switch-hitting [[catcher]], signed with the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] organization in 2008, at the age of 18.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ramón Cabrera {{!}} MLB |url=https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/player/_/id/12105/ram%C3%B3n-cabrera |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=Spotrac}}</ref><ref name="badler">{{Cite web |last=Badler |first=Ben |date=October 13, 2008 |title=International Signing Roundup: NL Central |url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/international-affairs/2008/267022.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130407185010/http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/international-affairs/2008/267022.html |archive-date=April 7, 2013 |website=[[Baseball America]]}}</ref> Ramón made his major league debut with the [[Cincinnati Reds]] on September 5, 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ramón Cabrera Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News |url=https://www.mlb.com/player/ramon-cabrera-541608 |access-date=2025-08-20 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref> Cabrera played against his son in some winter league games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Laurila |first=David |date=2015-03-22 |title=Sunday Notes: Snider's Swing, Starting Matusz, Backstop Academia, Grapefruit Nuggets |url=https://blogs.fangraphs.com/sunday-notes-sniders-swing-starting-matusz-backstop-academia-grapefruit-nuggets/ |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=[[FanGraphs]]}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Major League Baseball players from Venezuela]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball players named in the Mitchell Report]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Baseballstats |mlb=294697 |br=c/cabreal02 |fangraphs=1001806|brm=cabrer001ale}}
*{{Japanesebaseball|id=1370}}
*[http://baseballguru.com/jalbright/stats.html The Baseball Guru Japanese Baseball Data Archive]

{{Pacific League MVPs |state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cabrera, Alex}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Arizona Diamondbacks players]]
[[Category:Arizona League Diamondbacks players]]
[[Category:Bakersfield Blaze players]]
[[Category:Daytona Cubs players]]
[[Category:El Paso Diablos players]]
[[Category:Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks players]]
[[Category:Geneva Cubs players]]
[[Category:Koos Group Whales players]]
[[Category:Leones del Caracas players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball first basemen]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball players from Venezuela]]
[[Category:20th-century Venezuelan sportsmen]]
[[Category:Mexican League baseball first basemen]]
[[Category:Nippon Professional Baseball designated hitters]]
[[Category:Nippon Professional Baseball first basemen]]
[[Category:Nippon Professional Baseball MVP Award winners]]
[[Category:Orix Buffaloes players]]
[[Category:Pastora de los Llanos players]]
[[Category:Pastora de Occidente players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Monagas]]
[[Category:Peoria Chiefs players]]
[[Category:Rojos del Águila de Veracruz players]]
[[Category:Seibu Lions players]]
[[Category:Tiburones de La Guaira players]]
[[Category:Tucson Sidewinders players]]
[[Category:Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Japan]]
[[Category:Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Mexico]]
[[Category:Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Taiwan]]
[[Category:Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States]]
[[Category:Venezuelan people of Japanese descent]]