Melky Cabrera facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Melky Cabrera Astacio (born August 11, 1984), nicknamed "the Melkman", is a Dominican former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These include the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians, and Pittsburgh Pirates. While he mostly played as a left fielder, Cabrera also spent a lot of time as a center fielder for the Royals and Yankees.

Cabrera joined the Yankees as a young free agent. He made his MLB debut with them in 2005. After playing as a backup outfielder, the Yankees traded him to the Braves after the 2009 season. He struggled with the Braves in 2010 and was released. The Royals then signed him in 2011. Cabrera had a great year with the Royals. He was then traded to the Giants for the 2012 season. In 2012, Cabrera was chosen for his first All-Star Game. He also won the All-Star Game MVP Award.

Quick facts for kids

Melky Cabrera

Cabrera with the Chicago White Sox in 2016

Outfielder

Born: August 11, 1984 (age 40)
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Batted: Switch

Threw: Left

debut

July 7, 2005, for the New York Yankees

Last appearance

September 29, 2019, for the Pittsburgh Pirates

MLB statistics

Batting average

.285

Home runs

144

Runs batted in

854

Teams

Career highlights and awards

All-Star (2012)
World Series champion (2009)

Medals

Men's baseball

Representing Dominican Republic
Olympic Games
Bronze	2020 Tokyo	Team

Early Life and Baseball Start

Melky Cabrera Astacio was born on August 11, 1984, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He started his professional baseball journey at a young age.

Joining the Minor Leagues

The New York Yankees signed Cabrera on November 14, 2001, when he was 17. He received a $175,000 signing bonus. He played for several minor league teams. In 2003, he played for the Staten Island Yankees. He hit for a .283 batting average. In 2004, he moved up to the Battle Creek Yankees. He hit .333 there. Later that year, he played for the Tampa Yankees.

Playing for the New York Yankees (2005–2009)

First MLB Games in 2005

In 2005, Cabrera started with the Trenton Thunder. He hit .275 with 60 RBIs. He was then promoted to the Columbus Clippers. On July 7, he made his major league debut with the Yankees. He got his first major league hit that day. He played in six MLB games in 2005.

Making an Impact in 2006

Cabrera impressed the Yankees during spring training in 2006. He hit .349 in 16 games. He started the season strong in Triple-A. He was called up to the Yankees on May 9, 2006. He replaced injured left fielder Hideki Matsui. Cabrera hit his first major league home run on June 15. On June 6, he made an amazing catch. He leaped over the wall to stop a home run. This play won him a "This Year In Baseball" award. He finished 2006 with a .280 batting average. He also had seven home runs and 50 RBIs.

Becoming a Starter in 2007

Cabrera began 2007 as a backup outfielder. He struggled early in the season. But he got more playing time in June. He then started hitting much better. He had a 13-game hitting streak in July. He also had a career-high 19-game hitting streak later. He finished 2007 with a .273 batting average. He had eight home runs and 73 RBIs.

Challenges in 2008

Cabrera was involved in a fight during a spring training game in 2008. MLB suspended him for two games. He struggled with his hitting in 2008. The Yankees sent him back to Triple-A in August. He was called back up in September. He finished 2008 with a .249 batting average. He had eight home runs and 37 RBIs.

World Series Champion in 2009

In 2009, Cabrera competed for the starting center field job. He hit the first walk-off home run in the new Yankee Stadium. This was a two-run homer in the 14th inning. He became the starting center fielder again. On August 2, 2009, he hit for the cycle. This means he hit a single, double, triple, and home run in one game. He finished the season with a .274 batting average. He had 13 home runs and 68 RBIs. The Yankees won the 2009 World Series. This gave Cabrera his first championship title.

Time with the Atlanta Braves (2010)

On December 22, 2009, the Yankees traded Cabrera to the Atlanta Braves. He signed a one-year deal with the Braves. Cabrera hit .255 with four home runs and 42 RBIs in 115 games for the 2010 Braves. The Braves released him on October 19.

Success with the Kansas City Royals (2011)

On December 9, 2010, Cabrera signed with the Kansas City Royals. He was eager for a chance to play regularly. In 2011, he had a great season. He set new personal bests in RBIs (87), runs scored (102), and home runs (18). He also had a .305 batting average. He finished fourth in the American League with 201 hits. He became the sixth Royal to get 200 hits in a season.

San Francisco Giants and Suspension (2012)

On November 7, 2011, the Royals traded Cabrera to the San Francisco Giants. Cabrera started 2012 very well. In May, he had 50 hits. This was the most hits in May for a San Francisco Giant.

Cabrera with the San Francisco Giants in 2012

His strong hitting earned him a spot in the 2012 All-Star Game. He received the most votes among National League outfielders. He hit a two-run home run in the game. He was voted the All-Star Game MVP. He was the fifth Giants player to win this award.

On August 15, 2012, Cabrera was suspended for 50 games. This was because he broke league rules. He admitted to using a banned substance. The suspension meant he could not play for the rest of the 2012 season. Before his suspension, he led the league with 159 hits. He also had a .346 batting average. Cabrera asked not to be considered for the 2012 National League batting title.

The Giants made it to the postseason. Cabrera's suspension ended during the playoffs. However, the team decided he would not play for the rest of the postseason. The Giants went on to win the 2012 World Series. Even though he was suspended, Cabrera received a World Series ring. This was for his contributions to the team before his suspension.

Time with the Toronto Blue Jays (2013–2014)

2013 Season

Cabrera with the Toronto Blue Jays on 2013 Opening Day

Cabrera signed a two-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on November 19, 2012. On April 9, 2013, he got his 1,000th career hit. Cabrera dealt with leg injuries during the season. He was placed on the disabled list in June due to knee issues. He returned in July but went back on the disabled list. In August, it was announced he would not play for the rest of the season. He had surgery to remove a non-harmful growth from his spine. He played in 88 games in 2013. He batted .279 with three home runs and 30 RBIs.

2014 Season

Cabrera recovered from his surgery. He played well in spring training 2014. He led the league in hits and doubles during the spring. On April 4, 2014, he hit a lead-off home run. He then had a four-game home run streak. This was more home runs than he hit all of the previous season. He set a Blue Jays record on April 13. He hit in his 13th straight game to start the season. He also set a record for most hits before May 1.

On July 26, 2014, Cabrera got his 500th career RBI. On August 10, he set a team record. He got five walks in one game. He also reached base eight times in that game. This was the first time since 1972 a player had done that. On September 5, Cabrera broke his right little finger. This injury ended his 2014 season. At that time, he had 171 hits and a .301 batting average. He wanted to re-sign with Toronto. However, he later rejected their offer.

Chicago White Sox (2015–2017)

After the 2014 season, Cabrera signed a three-year contract with the Chicago White Sox. In 2015, he played 158 games. He batted .273 with 12 home runs and 77 RBIs. In 2016, he played 151 games. He batted .296 with 14 home runs. In 2017, before being traded, he batted .295 with 13 home runs and 56 RBIs in 98 games.

Return to Kansas City (2017)

The White Sox traded Cabrera back to the Kansas City Royals on July 30, 2017.

Cleveland Indians (2018)

On April 25, 2018, Cabrera signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians. He was called up to play in May. He was later released but re-signed with them in July. He played for the Indians again. He became a free agent in October 2018.

Pittsburgh Pirates (2019)

On February 10, 2019, Cabrera signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He made their opening day roster. In 2019, he batted .280.

New York Mets and Retirement

On June 29, 2020, the New York Mets signed Cabrera. He was released on July 22. After the 2020 season, he played in the Dominican Professional Baseball League. He also played for the Dominican Republic team in the 2021 Caribbean Series. On January 14, 2022, Melky Cabrera announced his retirement from baseball.

Personal Life

During the baseball offseason, Melky Cabrera lives in Tampa. He became good friends with fellow player Robinson Canó when they were minor league teammates. Cabrera has four daughters. He is also involved in charity work in his home country, the Dominican Republic. His nickname in the Yankees clubhouse was "Leche," which means "milk" in Spanish.

Honors and Awards

Futures Game selection (2005)
Play of the Year (2006)
2009 World Series champion
2012 MLB All-Star
2012 MLB All-Star Game MVP

Images for kids

Cabrera bunting for the New York Yankees in 2007
Cabrera with the New York Yankees in 2009
Cabrera playing for the Atlanta Braves in 2010