Does no one remember watching Cabrera run bases in 2011? Remember in the world series when Cabrera got gunned down from right field trying to score on a potential sac fly in the ALCS? Remember several singles that he hit last year that any person with normal speed could've stretched into a double? Doubles that could've been stretched into triples? Well, what did Cabrera do? He dropped about 30 pounds of fat and gained about 10 pounds of muscle...exactly what we're suggesting Prince do this offseason. This year many of those potential doubles were doubles. Heck, I even remember Miggy stealing a base or 2. Pop flies to center? Miggy scores from 3rd easily this season. I don't know how any sane person can look at Prince Fielder and not think that he needs to lose some weight aka get in better shape and furthermore, I don't know how any sane person could not think that getting in better shape would improve his all-around play.
Does batting average change when a player settles for a single that could have been a double? Nope. I'd sure as hell rather have the double, though. You think Prince scores easily from third on potential sac flies in the condition that he's in? Hell no. Yes, losing some weight would increase his speed. This is obvious stuff and we can look at Miguel Cabrera 2011 and Cabrera 2012 as the perfect example.
