LAKELAND, Fla. -- Miguel Cabrera sounded like a heavyweight fighter as he lurked behind the batting cage on one of the back fields at Tigertown on Sunday.
"Get ready, Verlander," he shouted toward the end. "Get ready."
Cabrera was joking around with Tigers ace Justin Verlander. With pitchers facing hitters at this stage of camp, teammates were pitted against each other. In this case, the teammates were the two most recognizable faces on the team.
Verlander is notoriously serious about these live batting sessions, seeking feedback from catchers and hitters, cursing himself when he doesn't execute a pitch to his liking, and keeping a regular count on his pitches.