Enos Cabell

American baseball player (born 1949)

Enos Milton Cabell (pronounced caBELL), (born October 8, 1949) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman and third baseman from 1972 to 1986, most prominently as a member of the Houston Astros team that won the franchise's first ever National League Western Division title and postseason berth in He also played for the Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, and Los Angeles Dodgers. After his playing career, Cabell served as a special assistant to the General Manager of the Houston Astros.

Cabell was born in Fort Riley, Kansas, to Enos Cabell Sr. and Naomi Cabell. He graduated from Gardena High School in Gardena, California. He played college baseball at Los Angeles Harbor College. Cabell was signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent in 1968. He played in Venezuelan winter league for Tigres de Aragua in season 1971 1972. He was traded along with Rob Andrews from the Orioles to the Astros for Lee May and Jay Schlueter at the Winter Meetings on December 3, 1974. The Baseball Writers' Association of America named Cabell the Houston Astros' Most Valuable Player in 1978. On December 8, 1980, Cabell was then traded to San Francisco for pitcher Bob Knepper and outfielder Chris Bourjos. On February 28, 1986, Cabell and six others were suspended for the entire season for admitting during the Pittsburgh drug trials that they were involved in cocaine abuse. The suspensions for all seven were avoided after agreeing to large anti drug donations and community service. He played MLB for 15 seasons, despite the distinction of being singled out by Bill James in his 1983 Baseball Abstract as a player who "can't play baseball." Currently, he serves as a special assistant to Astros general manager James Click.

In 1,688 games over 15 seasons, Cabell compiled a .277 batting average (1,647–for–5,952) with 753 runs, 263 doubles, 56 triples, 60 home runs, 596 RBI, 238 stolen bases, 259 base on balls, 691 strikeouts, .308 on base percentage, and .370 slugging percentage. Defensively, he recorded a .977 fielding percentage. In the postseason, he batted .184 (7–for–38) in 13 league championship games.