When Melky Cabrera calls out, fellow White Sox outfielder Avi Garcia answers to "Big Head."
Michael Ynoa, a Sox pitcher Cabrera considers long in the neck, good-naturedly gets dubbed "Giraffe.” Inexperienced reliever Juan Minaya goes by "Pasante,” a Spanish word for intern. To hear Sox players and officials talk, Hawk Harrelson has nothing on Cabrera when it comes to inventing nicknames.
Such is baseball life for the Sox as the Melk Man lightens the mood in the clubhouse, applying terms of endearment as a means of making teammates laugh while playing a game that can be a serious struggle.
"I like to give them random nicknames or make fun of the Hispanic guys if they say something that isn’t right,” Cabrera said through interpreter Billy Russo. "I want to make guys feel they’re in their house, we’re a family, and they should relax because we’re playing a game. I try to make the place happy and create a better atmosphere. So I tease them.”
Cabrera considers nobody off limits, but with respect comes restraint in the case of Jose Abreu, the team’s most contemplative player. Around the strong, silent type, Cabrera is as careful as a pitcher with the bases loaded.
"He’s so focused and in his own world, you don’t want to mess with his preparation,” Cabrera said. "He’s a good guy and we joke together, too, but I try to be more cautious with Abreu than others.”
Entering his third season on the South Side, Cabrera considers improving the vibe as much a part of his job as hitting behind the runner. After Sox victories last year, Cabrera grabbed a karaoke microphone and emceed postgame ceremonies honoring key performances. After fly balls fell into his glove, the Sox left fielder was known to exaggerate a pose to draw a laugh. At Cabrera’s Instagram account — el_melky — you will find a photo of his head superimposed on the body of a milkman carrying a carton of bottles under the caption "The Melkman Delivers.”
Usually, it’s a chuckle.
Photos as the White Sox practice at spring training at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz.
"I understand his middle-of-the-pack English skills probably prevent him from having too big of a public persona, but Melky’s an easygoing, fun-loving guy inside whose looseness is contagious,” said Sox director of player development Chris Getz, Cabrera’s teammate with the Royals and Blue Jays. "On two teams, I never came across a guy who didn’t like Melky Cabrera, and that’s fairly unusual for a major-league player.”
On a Sox team expected to lose more than it wins as the rebuilding begins, Cabrera’s comic relief offers a young team a daily reminder to keep things in perspective. That especially resonates on a roster with so many Latin players and prospects who relate well to Cabrera.
"Just his presence. … He’s a fun guy to have around, but we also want him to lead by example between the lines,” manager Rick Renteria said. "He’s one of the premier hitters in the game and has been for quite a few years.”
Quietly, Cabrera has hit .284 in two seasons with the Sox, driving in 86 runs last year with 14 home runs and 42 doubles in 151 games. Over the last three seasons, Cabrera has collected as many hits as Angels star Mike Trout (518) — with 10 more doubles. Only two MLB outfielders have more hits over that three-year span. Ask Cabrera about the consistency and he refers to his daily approach, which he traced back to being a 21-year-old starter on the 2006 American League East champion Yankees team that included mentors Bobby Abreu and Derek Jeter.
"Their personalities were outstanding, so you wanted to be around them,” Cabrera said. "I learned. Here, now, I feel proud of my role.”
A 50-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs in 2012 seems like eons ago now for a player embracing his status as a Sox team leader. Cabrera’s long road to respectability actually started as a boy in Haina, just outside Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. The natural left-handed hitter taught himself how to swing from both sides after a scout told the 5-foot-10 Cabrera he would need a special skill to make the majors because he was too short. He idolized switch hitter Chipper Jones. His mother urged Cabrera to be an engineer, but baseball came too naturally. He signed with the Yankees at 17, accepted a $175,000 bonus and left for opportunity in America in 2003.
Six teams and two World Series rings later — with the 2009 Yankees and 2012 Giants — Cabrera enjoys his reputation as a professional hitter as well as personal prankster. With general manager Rick Hahn open about his intentions, Cabrera represents an ideal trade candidate given what’s on the back of his baseball card and the front of his contract. Cabrera’s three-year, $42 million deal expires in October.
"I can only control my preparation for the season,” Cabrera said. "I would love to stay here, though. I love this team. I love Chicago. But at the end of the day, it’s not my decision. So I’ll just try to take advantage of this good situation and make every day enjoyable.”
For the benefit of the Sox, Cabrera involves everybody in the enjoyment.
dhaugh@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @DavidHaugh
Caption Miguel Gonzalez, Jose Quintana on their 2017 Cactus League debuts
White Sox pitchers Miguel Gonzalez and Jose Quintana react after their 2017 Cactus League debuts on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, after an exhibition against the Rockies. (Colleen Kane/Chicago Tribune)
White Sox pitchers Miguel Gonzalez and Jose Quintana react after their 2017 Cactus League debuts on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, after an exhibition against the Rockies. (Colleen Kane/Chicago Tribune)
Caption Miguel Gonzalez, Jose Quintana on their 2017 Cactus League debuts
White Sox pitchers Miguel Gonzalez and Jose Quintana react after their 2017 Cactus League debuts on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, after an exhibition against the Rockies. (Colleen Kane/Chicago Tribune)
White Sox pitchers Miguel Gonzalez and Jose Quintana react after their 2017 Cactus League debuts on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, after an exhibition against the Rockies. (Colleen Kane/Chicago Tribune)
Caption White Sox second baseman Brett Lawrie on sitting out early spring games
White Sox second baseman Brett Lawrie on sitting out early spring games. (Colleen Kane/Chicago Tribune)
White Sox second baseman Brett Lawrie on sitting out early spring games. (Colleen Kane/Chicago Tribune)
Caption White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon talks about first bullpen
White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon avoids teammate’s distracting grunts, talks about first bullpen. (Colleen Kane/Chicago Tribune)
White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon avoids teammate’s distracting grunts, talks about first bullpen. (Colleen Kane/Chicago Tribune)
Caption White Sox catcher Zack Collins on his Catcus League debut
White Sox catcher and 2016 draft pick Zack Collins reacts after his Cactus League debut on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (Colleen Kane/Chicago Tribune)
White Sox catcher and 2016 draft pick Zack Collins reacts after his Cactus League debut on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (Colleen Kane/Chicago Tribune)
Caption Carson Fulmer on pitching two scoreless innings in spring opener
White Sox pitcher Carson Fulmer reacts after throwing two scoreless innings in the team’s exhibition opener against the Dodgers on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (Colleen Kane/Chicago Tribune)
White Sox pitcher Carson Fulmer reacts after throwing two scoreless innings in the team’s exhibition opener against the Dodgers on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (Colleen Kane/Chicago Tribune)
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