DETROIT — It was three hours before the game, the wind was whipping and the temperature was hovering around 42. Miguel Cabrera came bounding out of the Tigers dugout and onto the field.
“Weather for baseball!” he yelled with a clap and a laugh. “Let’s go!”
It didn’t matter if it was weather for baseball or ice fishing. It didn’t matter if it was weather for history or histrionics. The field was green, the air was dry, the mood was light. Cabrera was in his element, in his happy zone, about to take his batting-practice swings. He’s a complex man with a simple agenda — have fun, hit baseballs — and it’s why he’s marching joyfully to the rarest of baseball feats.
As it turns out, it wasn’t exactly weather for baseball Tuesday night at Comerica Park, as the Yankees and Tigers took turns heaving iceballs into the dirt. By the end, the Yankees had a messy 4-2 victory that lasted one minute shy of four hours. The teams issued a combined 16 walks and threw 371 pitches. Cabrera collected hit No. 2,996 of his 20-year career, a single in the second off Gerrit Cole, and most in the shivering crowd cheered loudly.
The frigid temperature kept the attendance down (15,498 tickets distributed), which was unfortunate, but nothing keeps Cabrera’s mood down these days, or most days. This was the start of a six-game homestand — three against the Yankees, three against the Rockies — in which Cabrera could become the seventh player in MLB history to reach the 3,000-hit and 500-home run milestones. Even rarer, he’ll likely complete his career with 3,000-plus hits, 500-plus home runs and a .300-plus batting average (currently .310). Only two others have ever done that, guys by the name of Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.
“It’s incredible when you look back,” manager AJ Hinch said before the game. “The older we all are, the more we can appreciate things that happened a while back. The rarity of what you’re actually seeing in the flesh, watching him handle it with such joy. There’s so many lessons to take away from it, just soaking it up and enjoying every minute of it.”
Impossibility long ago became inevitability for Cabrera, who turned 39 on Monday. This is not a laborious pursuit either, as some had surmised. Cabrera has nine hits in 32 at-bats (.281) this season, and once it became apparent rookie Spencer Torkelson was ready to take over at first base, Cabrera happily ceded the position.
It helps that the Tigers are becoming more competitive, despite a brutal spate of injuries. They’re 4-6 but have lost two starting pitchers (Casey Mize, Matt Manning) for undetermined lengths, as well as prized shortstop Javy Báez (thumb). Ask Cabrera if he’s enjoying himself and this is what he says: “I know it’s a lot of pressure and there’s a lot of eyes on me. … I just hope we can win more games. That’s more important.”
The depth and breadth of his Hall of Fame credentials confirm he doesn’t just swing for long-ball glory. He’s a hitter more than a power-hitter, and jokingly tells teammates he made his money by learning to hit the opposite way, something right-handed sluggers historically are reluctant to do. Of Cabrera’s 502 home runs, 41% have been to center field or right field. His offensive balance is reflected in his 2012 Triple Crown and four AL batting titles.
It's not a secret to his success because he’s willing to share with teammates. Starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez said he signed with the Tigers partly because of his respect for Cabrera, a fellow Venezuelan. Báez expressed similar sentiments. Torkelson, like others, marvels at Cabrera’s batting-practice ritual, where he sprays the ball around instead of putting on a power show.
“My first time watching him in BP, he was so disciplined and committed to his approach,” Torkelson said. “Watching Miggy just take his single to right field, or flick one the other way, that makes everyone a better hitter. That’s the Hall of Fame approach, it’s perfection. He’s an open book. You can come up to him and ask anything about his approach.”
Cabrera’s competitiveness can get overlooked because of his playfulness. When he gets on base, he generally engages the opposing fielder in animated conversation. In the clubhouse, he loudly announces his presence, and is known to pull the occasional practical joke.
When Torkelson hit a home run in Kansas City, it was an ecstatic Cabrera who met him at home plate.
“He was happier than I was,” Torkelson said, shaking his head. “I’ve never seen someone so content with life. He lives life to the fullest. It’s pretty incredible, pretty special.”
Cabrera’s line-drive single in the second Tuesday night sparked a rally that produced the Tigers’ only runs, and helped knock out Cole before the inning was over. Strikes were a rarity as pitchers struggled to grip the chilled baseball. In the seventh, Cabrera had a 3-0 count with runners on second and third and swung mightily. He eventually bounced to third and Jonathan Schoop was narrowly cut down at the plate.
That at-bat probably stuck with Cabrera more than the 2,996th hit. Any joy in his accomplishments is shaded by the game’s outcome.
“In general, anything that makes his teammates happy, makes him happy,” Hinch said. “We’re all enjoying it, he’s enjoying it. Since day one, Miggy’s all about trying to win the game, and he wants to (get the 3,000th hit) in a win. He’s handled it about as even-keeled as you probably can. He doesn’t talk about it a ton. But deep down inside, I think he’s very appreciative where he’s at in the history of the game.”
By later this week, if No. 3,000 hasn’t arrived yet, the anticipation and appreciation will grow. The crowds should too. In any weather, by any measure, Cabrera is cementing an unmatched legacy.
