COMMENTARY| When it's said and done, Detroit Tigers fans will be able to say that they witnessed one of Major League Baseball's purest hitters in thirdbaseman Miguel Cabrera, or "Miggy," as he's affectionately referred to in the Motor City.
Cabrera's bat has been a staple of the Tigers offense since 2008, the year he came over from the Florida Marlins (now the Miami Marlins).
What a pick-up for the Tigers that was.
Since switching clubs and leagues, Cabrera has routinely been one of the biggest power threats in all of baseball. He's consistently hit at least 30 homers and put up a .300 batting average, or very close to (.292 in 2008), since joining the Tigers.
There's no doubting the special talents of one of Detroit's most-beloved athletes. He sends fans into a frenzy with his towering shots to the stands. He puts fear into infielders with his bullet-like scorchers down the baselines. Hitting the ball, it seems, is just in Cabrera's DNA. He was born to smack the covers off balls. Plain and simple.
He has 25 bombs this season and is 23rd with 302 homers on MLB's active leaders list which is topped by the New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez, who has 644. Cabrera is 27th on the active list in RBI with 1,067 and 38th in hits with 1,728. Among active leaders, Cabrera's .318 career-batting average is sixth-best. The same goes for his .558 slugging percentage and .952 OPS (all statistics were accurate as of early Saturday evening).
Keep in mind that Cabrera has been in the league considerably less time than some of the top players on the list. If his numbers don't scream "Hall of Fame," I don't know what do. He's a shoo-in for Cooperstown.
Fans of teams always feel that their star is the star of all stars. And they should. There is nothing wrong with being loyal -- and a big fan of -- to a hometown baseball hero. When judging his on-the-field performance, Cabrera will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest Tigers in history. He could end up being the most-revered hitter to ever wear an Old English "D" on his cap.
Adam Biggers has followed Major League Baseball for over 20 years, specifically the Detroit Tigers. He can be found on Twitter @AdamBiggers81.
