When your team is worth over a billion dollars, it’s not the thought that counts.
Forty-year-old Miguel Cabrera, the retiring superstar first baseman for the Detroit Tigers, is making the rounds this season on a farewell tour. As he goes from stadium to stadium, opposing teams are honoring Cabrera with a round of applause, as well as a special gift that represents their franchise’s city.
Cabrera has been hooked up with some cool presents along the way, including a guitar honoring Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame from the Guardians and a custom baseball bat from the Cincinnati Reds with the Reds and Tigers logos on it. The New York Yankees even gave him a painting of him knocking a game-tying home run against the pinstripes in 2013, as well as a $10,000 check for his Miggy Foundation. (RELATED: It’s Becoming More And More Annoying (And Expensive) To Watch Sports, And America Needs To Revolt Before It’s Too Late)
But the Oakland Athletics? Ha!
Congratulations on a legendary career, Miggy! 👏 pic.twitter.com/OEZt8q5Vjq
— Oakland A’s (@Athletics) September 22, 2023
Thursday night, while the Tigers were visiting the A’s at Oakland Coliseum, the broke-ass baseball team showed exactly why I refer to them as a broke-ass baseball team, gifting Cabrera with a bottle of Caymus 2020 Sabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley — a cheap $90 bottle of wine, as reported by CBS Sports contributor Danny Vietti.
The Oakland A’s gave Miguel Cabrera a $90 bottle of wine. https://t.co/lMnwcHdy1O pic.twitter.com/Efy2HNcXEI
— Danny Vietti (@DannyVietti) September 22, 2023
To make this situation even worse for the Athletics, Cabrera has struggled with alcoholism in the past, entering a treatment program for three months following the 2009 season. He was later arrested for DUI in 2011.
Um, aside from it being a cheap gift to a retiring player, Miguel Cabrera is a recovering alcoholic and spent months in a treatment center for it. Why are the A’s giving him wine? 😳
— Stacey (@StaceGots) September 22, 2023
And baseball fans from all around the country let the A’s have it.
I’m more shocked they managed to splurge on a decent bottle of wine. Figured they’d give him Franzia.
— Schlasser (@UrinatingTree) September 22, 2023
The best we could do is a bottle of wine?
— WORLD SERIES szn💚💛 (@waldichukWRLD) September 22, 2023
Those are A’s fans tears collected after the 2012 and 2013 ALDS
— Miguel Cabrera’s Bat (Benson) (@Miggysbat) September 22, 2023
Ok, we know this was something where the A’s realized this was Miggy’s last trip to Oakland & they forgot & sent a staffer to the nearest liquor store & told him to get the best bottle of local wine he could find… then immediately called him back and said strike that. Get the…
— Christopher Giannini (@ChrisBGiannini) September 22, 2023
Is this a joke?
— Foul Pole Sports (@FoulPoleSports) September 22, 2023
You guys could have just gotten him this for the same price. pic.twitter.com/RvBBiBfCHR
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) September 22, 2023
I’m just glad it was more than my prediction of a tall can of king cobra and half grilled cheese sandwich
— rizzvisuals.eth (@rizzvisuals) September 22, 2023
Heard they gave him some 5 dollar scratchers too
— Jeff Glynn🏴☠️ (@coach_glynn9) September 22, 2023
And then there’s this guy, who predicted the whole thing:
I bet you the @Athletics give him a simple bottle of wine https://t.co/FQWnlvHoR8
— Gabriel Hernandez (@gamer_athletics) September 19, 2023
And this is exactly why the movie “Moneyball” was made — cheap asses.