for a while," I add. "Thank you," he says. That's it. Cabrera slaps five with his boys and claims the back row. I sit near the front.

I'd been warned that to strangers Cabrera is a man of few words. He loathes interviews and rarely ever warms up to outsiders. Still, Cabrera's reps felt that with all his success recently, the time was right for their client's first all-access profile. But first, they cautioned, I'd have to get him to like me. That's why I'm in Detroit -- to be likable.

With Cabrera inaccessible, I cozy up to centerfielder Austin Jackson and ask him about his teammate's shyness. "It's funny to hear that he's shy," he says. "With us he's the opposite -- each day he comes in with asmile and a great attitude." Justin Verlander agrees: "He's kind of guarded, but once you get to know him, he's a very jovial guy." Adds GM Dave Dombrowski, who's known Cabrera for 14 years: "We'd like to see him retire as a Tiger. He's a great player, but it's the way he handles himself, his smile, the way he is with the youngsters -- he represents your organization in fine fashion."

The consensus is clear: Cabrera is a goofy guy who plays baseball with unbridled joy, puts only family before team, respects his teammates and adores children. But he hates the spotlight.

Unfortunately for him, that's exactly what the Winter Caravan is all about. Its second stop is the North American International Auto Show, where the General Motors display area