Miguel Cabrera spoke about his drinking:
Detroit Tigers star Miguel Cabrera says he does not drink anymore and insists he is not an alcoholic.
But after an ugly incident last fall, the first baseman said Monday he won’t make an issue of any such labels used by the media.
I do think there is a difference between someone who drinks too much and someone who is an alcoholic. I would guess the former have an easier time quitting than the latter because to them alcohol is something they want to drink rather than something they need to drink. The good thing either way is that Cabrera seems to understand he made a mistake and is trying to learn from it.
Good on Cabrera for trying to straighten things out. The thing is, you kinda cross the line into alcoholism once you start showing up to work (or games) drunk.
For the Tigers, it might make his extension signing problematic if they need to trade him down the line and can’t get a fair market value based on real or perceived issues with drinking.
Best of luck to Miguel.
I agree that there is such a theoretical difference, but Cabrera’s drinking significantly interferes with his ability to function at work and maintain good personal relationships. That’s pretty much the definition of an alcoholic. I hate this kind of public dishonesty about addiction.