A well-known first baseman for Michigan’s Detroit Tigers recently announced that he has filed for divorce in an out-of-state court. Prince Fielder broke the news just one day after telling a reporter that nothing in his personal life was amiss. He was responding to rumors and a statement from a fellow Tigers player that his performance on the field was possibly being affected by a family problem. The details of Fielder’s divorce filing are unclear, though his wife has responded by requesting that Fielder be responsible for paying her legal expenses.
Not much is known about Fielder’s apparent marital problems, but teammate Torii Hunter made comments on a radio show suggesting that the five-time All-Star and two-time Home Run Derby winner was dealing with personal issues. Hunter wanted the media to “back off Prince Fielder a little bit right now.” Fielder had attracted scrutiny from sports analysts after recording increasingly low batting averages, on-base percentages and slugging percentages in recent games.
After another reporter informed Fielder that Hunter’s comments had evolved into a news story in Michigan, the 29-year-old player said that everything in his personal life was “fine” and that nothing was interfering with his performance in recent appearances on the field.
Later, Hunter defended his on-air comments, explaining that he was defending his friend and teammate after the radio hosts speculated on Fielder’s performance, saying he wasn’t doing his job. “That’s my brother in this clubhouse,” said Hunter. “We’re all brothers, so we take care of each other.” He suggested that he also has similar issues, but added that fans, reporters and analysts “won’t ever see it.”
Since joining Major League Baseball in 2002, Prince Fielder has won a number of honors, including the Silver Nugget Award and the 2011 All-Star Game MVP award. He is also the league’s all-time youngest player to hit 50 home runs in a single season. He signed on with the Detroit Tigers roster in 2012.
This case illustrates that marital problems affect people from all walks of life, regardless of their profession, income or level of fame. If you are interested in learning more about how divorce might benefit you, contact an experienced Michigan family law attorney.
Source: USA Today, “Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder files for divorce” Tammy Stables Battaglia and George Sipple, Aug. 15, 2013