Not that he really needs to in order to bolster his dual reputations as a future Hall of Famer and one of Major League Baseball's most beloved players, but Miguel Cabrera will soon join the 3,000 Hit Club anyway.
After collecting hits No. 2,997, 2,998 and 2,999 on Wednesday, Cabrera's big moment could have happened amid the Detroit Tigers' 3-0 win over the New York Yankees on Thursday. Instead, the slugger went 0-fer in his first three at-bats and was given first base on an intentional walk with a base open and two outs in the bottom of the eighth.
Perhaps needless to say, the thousands packed into Comerica Park were about as displeased as the thousands more watching from home.
No matter, according to Cabrera himself. In keeping with the mindset he expressed on Wednesday, he told reporters after the game that he was happy to get the win. And besides, "My on-base percentage went up."
Already a member of the 500 Home Run Club, the 39-year-old will become just the 33rd player to record 3,000 hits in the major leagues when his next hit comes. He and Albert Pujols are the only active members in the club, and it's anyone's guess who'll be next. Only three other active players—Robinson Cano, Yadier Molina and Joey Votto—have as many as 2,000 hits, and they're all in their late 30s.
All the more reason, then, to press pause and truly appreciate what Cabrera has done on the road to 3,000 hits. And not just with his bat. While that may be the thing that's earned him a place in baseball history, it's as much because of his personality that he'll be remembered for long after his playing days are over.
Appreciating Miguel Cabrera, The Hitting Machine
Before we get into the numbers, the record should show that Cabrera's greatness in the batter's box can be measured just as effectively in anecdotes.
It seems that anybody who's ever shared a dugout with the guy can only speak in flabbergasted terms about his batting practice displays. Take it from former Tigers ace Justin Verlander, as told to Jason Beck of MLB.com last August:
“There’s a batting practice in Minnesota [at Target Field], and I’ve never seen anybody else do this: His last round of hitting, it was three pitches. He went upper deck in right-center field in that corner. The next pitch, he went upper-deck center field over those two guys that are shaking hands. And then he went upper-deck left field. He comes out of the cage laughing, but he knows what he did is pretty badass, even though he plays it down."
Read enough articles about Cabrera, and you're bound to come across similar versions of this story from other players and coaches, friend and foe alike. They all express a common appreciation and a sort of unspoken consensus, that what Cabrera can do when he puts bat to ball simply is not normal.