There are two ways of looking at Miguel Cabrera. One is he ranks third in the American League with a sparkling .324 batting average. The other is his lack of run production is embarrassing.
There are 51 players in the major leagues with more RBI than Cabrera. Among them, former Tigers farm hand Cody Ross. He also has fewer RBI than such non-notables as Kendry Morales, Ben Zobrist, Yunel Escobar, Casey Blake, Pablo Sandoval and Shin-Soo Choo.
Cabrera's lack of clutch hitting on the road, where the Tigers have struggled mightily, has been especially alarming.
Cabrera is hitless in his last 16 at bats on the road with runners in scoring position. He is just 1-for-27 since May 25 on the road with runners in scoring position. That one hit did not produce a run.
The last time Cabrera produced an RBI with runners in scoring position on the road was a two-run double in the ninth inning at Kansas City on May 25. The Tigers led 11-1 at the time.

Random Thoughts

- Although the signing of Chris Wilcox makes the Pistons a better team, they are still lacking a real strong presence inside. The big question remains: Can Joe Dumars move Richard Hamilton to improve the Pistons inside game? A deal may be coming, but it might not transpire until after the season starts. That might not be all bad. It would give Dumars and coach John Kuester a chance to see if the unexpected stellar play from the Pistons' draft picks this summer was for real.

- Tom Watson has always been an excellent ball striker, even with advanced age. His problems came with putting. He lost his touch sooner than most. That's what made it so surprising he nearly pulled off a near-miracle in the British Open. Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer - they all hit the ball very well into their 50s - Snead into his 60s. All the got the "yipes" around the green, though.

My column in Monday's Oakland Press about Michigan football transfers and Rich Rodriguez's program: http://tinyurl.com/m2evlv