(Lakeland) Two years ago, Miguel Cabrera hit his 500e circuit and last season his 3000e for sure.
Now there’s another reason to celebrate the Detroit Tigers power hitter’s career: 2023 is his final season.
“I’m going to use it to be myself. Try to have fun and when I am given the opportunity to play, play. I don’t know what my role will be this season, Cabrera said. If I can hit, I want to be training. »
Cabrera seemed at peace with his decision to end his career on Monday, joking with reporters in a customary fashion, while insisting his opponents needn’t make a fuss about it. Which should happen whether he likes it or not, though.
“I talked about it at our first meeting, so that just goes to show you how much I didn’t respond to his desire not to talk about it,” manager AJ Hinch said. We’re going to enjoy our time with Miggy. We’re also going to let him be a player and contribute, be himself. »
More than 20 years after his MLB debut with the Florida Marlins, Cabrera says he doesn’t remember much of his first training camp – “I have a better car now! – but he hopes to be healthy all year and for the Tigers to get more wins.
The Tigers haven’t made the playoffs since 2014, while Cabrera hasn’t had a great season since 2016.
The whole baseball world was captivated by Albert Pujols’ latest campaign last year, when he hit 24 homers to hit the 700 career mark.
Such a run should not be expected in the case of Cabrera, mainly because he has passed several plateaus recently. He will start the season with 507 homers, 3,088 hits and 607 doubles, not to mention his career average of .308.
“It’s been a privilege to be able to follow him, to see him play every day for so many years,” noted Dave Dombrowski, the current president of the Philadelphia Phillies, who led the Tigers for many years, including when Cabrera won the Triple Crown and the first of two consecutive All-American MVP awards in 2012.
Dombrowski, who was with the Marlins when they signed the young Cabrera in 1999, says he always exchanges texts with him when he pulls off a feat. This respect for Cabrera, we feel it everywhere in baseball.
Cabrera has played 112 games in 2022. He said Monday he feels physically fine, but jokingly said he has to wait and see how he feels after an 0-for-4 day at bat. Because he does not expect us to make his life easy even if he will play one last season.
“It’s good if they point it out, it’s also good if they don’t point it out,” he said. I don’t want attention. I don’t want to be a distraction for our team. »
Hinch and the Tigers, however, want to enjoy this last campaign with him. Cabrera is also likely to find himself in the limelight more quickly, when he defends the colors of Venezuela at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March, along with his teammate, left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez.
“It’s going to be very special,” Rodriguez said. It’s his last year and we will play together in the CMB for our country, before playing his last season in the Majors. I can’t wait to enjoy it. »