Tigers Report: Inside Pitch

Put the fuss and bother aside -- Jim Leyland thinks Miguel Cabrera could have the best year of his career in 2011.

Despite uncertainty over just what course of action the Tigers would take in regard to Cabrera getting charged with a DUI, his second public incident involving alcohol in three years, Detroit's manager declared it would have no impact whatsoever on his team's clubhouse.

"I'm supportive of all our players and always will be," Leyland said. "People who are getting all dramatic about it and all this negative stuff, it might make for dramatic reading material, but along the lines (of it being a distraction)? Nothing. Trust me. It's not going to affect the team at all."

The Tigers entered the weekend in consultation with Major League Baseball, the players' union and medical staff to determine a course of action for Cabrera to follow.

"You'll have to talk to Miguel," Leyland said, "but I'll tell you what I think: I think Miguel Cabrera is probably going to have the biggest year of his life."

"Do you think Magglio Ordonez is going to go about his business any different? Nobody is going to do anything any different. I know for a fact that Miguel Cabrera is in the best shape of his life. He's stronger than he's ever been, and he's quicker than he's ever been. It has no effect."

Detroit's players were unanimous, at least in public, in proclaiming they will welcome Cabrera and support him. The closest thing to a critical comment came from Ordonez, who said superstars don't do things like that.

"Like everyone knows, he made a mistake and you are not supposed to drive drunk on the road," Ordonez said. "He will have to pay the consequences. Miguel's the franchise player. He understands (the team) depends on him a lot. He's a superstar and needs to act like a superstar."

"There are two ways of handling a situation like this," Brandon Inge said after reporting to camp. "I refer back to my kids and how I would handle things. If one of my kids came in and he had a problem, do you shun him, dismiss him and tell him he's on his own?

"Or two, you can open your arms, embrace him and welcome him back. Obviously, that's what we would all do here."

Teammate Alex Avila shares the same trainer as Cabrera and was blindsided by the incident, having worked out with him in the offseason with no hints of problems.

"Once Miguel gets in, we'll all figure out what happened," Avila said. "But we'll support him no matter what -- because that's what families do. They help each other out."

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