‘Melkman’ delivers record month for Giants, fans
SAN FRANCISCO — Alex Rodriguez does not buy for a second Melky Cabrera’s public persona as a quiet, subdued guy.
“He’s the last thing from quiet,” A-Rod said about his former New York Yankees teammate, now an emerging star with the San Francisco Giants. “He’s very fun-loving, very charismatic with his teammates.” And extremely loud with his bat. With an eighth-inning single Wednesday, Cabrera tied the San Francisco record for hits in any month with 51, matching Randy Winn’s total from September 2005.
No major leaguer had reached the 50hit mark in a month since Carl Crawford of the then-Tampa Bay Devil Rays in August 2007. There have been quite a few more perfect games (four) than 50-hit months since then.
“He’s been a machine this month,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s hard to believe how many hits he’s got in one month.”
The Giants were off Thursday, so Cabrera’s final tally for May reads like this: a .429 batting average, a .457 on-base percentage, 15 extra-base hits and 17 RBI. For the season, he’s batting a National League-best .373 with four homers and 25 RBI.
Cabrera’s exploits have led Bochy to say he reminds him of Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn and Giants fans to adopt him as a cult hero. During Tuesday’s game, six guys dressed in old-fashioned milkman uniforms and wearing hats that read “Melkman” cheered wildly for each of his three hits. He tossed them a ball. He acknowledged not expecting such success or popularity in his first season in San Francisco.
“I never thought so, but it’s happened with God’s help and hard work,” Cabrera, 27, told USA TODAY Sports in Spanish. “I’m very happy with the fans’ support.”
The “Melkmen” are not just happy to support the switch-hitting Dominican. They want to get him voted into the AllStar Game, scheduled for July 10 in Kansas City, where Cabrera enjoyed a breakout season last year before being traded.
“My mind has never been on making an All-Star Game,” he said.