Gracias, Miguel

The saga is now complete. Today, Miguel Cabrera will take the field at Comerica Park for the last time as a Detroit Tiger. After 16 years of wearing the old English D, two MVPs, a Triple Crown, four division titles, and two World Series appearances, the book has finally closed on the illustrious career of Miguel Cabrera. This will be an emotional day for Tiger fans. From a marketing standpoint, this entire season has been built around Miguel Cabrera‘s retirement tour. The fans have watched, and we’ve accepted it, but now that it’s over, it is difficult for many people to say goodbye.

I’m having a hard time writing this blog. I want to be as comprehensive as possible. Some people may try to deny it, but some parts of Miguel Cabrera’s past are pretty darn ugly. As much as he has grown, I don’t think it’s unfair to bring those transgressions up in a discussion. But I do think it’s unfair to act as though those who worship Miguel Cabrera for what he did here are somehow lesser. Most fans work at 9 to 5 to get home and watch their favorite team. And much like a character on their favorite TV show, Miguel Cabrera was always there. For 16 years, his presence loomed large within this organization. The Detroit Tigers have employed a whole lot of players, but few did it better than number twenty four.

There will always be a bittersweet taste knowing that Miguel Cabrera never won a World Series in Detroit. I want the Tigers to win the World Series. I wanted them to do it with Miggy. But we get so obsessed about Championships that we fail to recognize moments, and Miguel Cabrera gave us so many. At the time, we called it greatness. Now, we call it nostalgia.

Anyone who’s watched Tiger baseball over the last several years can tell that Miguel Cabrera‘s body has simply worn down. There comes a point where you can’t dominate the way that you used to. The final stage of Miguel Cabrera‘s career won’t be remembered for him putting up insane numbers the way that he did at his peak but for being a guy who embraced the mentorship role as the organization entered a new era with the likes of Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, and Spencer Torkelson leading the charge. There’s a reason why Scott Harris decided to give Miguel Cabrera a role within the organization after retirement. The presence has meant more than the production. A.J. Hinch has been open about that. 

I am as guilty of being a "What have you done for me lately" guy as anyone. I want to win every game, and I've been upset at points with seeing a guy who's got a sub .700 OPS bat cleanup for the Detroit Tigers. But now that Cabrera is about to close the book on his career, the only thing that comes up are positive memories. I was in sixth grade when Dave Dombrowski made the trade to acquire Miguel Cabrera. I was in high school at my locker when he was winning MVPs, and my friends and I were talking about how insanely good he was. Sometimes, sports is the greatest time machine that we have. We were there for the ascension, there for the peak, and there for the decline. 

People will wonder where the Detroit Tigers will go from here. How can you find a franchise player that matches Miguel Cabrera's impact on this organization? You can't. The best way to honor this legacy is to return to where they were when Miggy was at his peak. Put out a good product, spend money, and win games. Put your best foot forward just like Cabrera did. As we grew up as fans, so did Miguel Cabrera. Thanks for the memories, big guy. Enjoy retirement.