Watch: Miguel Cabrera reaches baseball immortality with his 3,000th career hit
Miguel Cabrera. Baseball immortality.
On a perfect 70 degree Saturday, in front of a packed Comerica Park, the man affectionately known as Miggy, a future first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, recorded his 3000th hit Saturday on an opposite field single in the Detroit Tigers' game against the Colorado Rockies.
The 7th player in Major League history with 500 home runs and 3,000 hits. pic.twitter.com/7RtGWyl3Xv
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 23, 2022
THE INSIDE PITCH: What makes Miguel Cabrera one of the greatest hitters ever? Just ask the pitchers he faced
To say the crowd erupted is an understatement. His former teammate, Rockies shortstop Jose Iglesias, gave him a bear hug at first base as his teammates came streaming out of the dugout with the Chevrolet Fountain spewing high into the air.
The game sat still as time was called, Cabrera left first base and ran behind home plate to hug his wife and kids.
Cabrera, the longest-tenured player on the Detroit Tigers since he was traded in 2008, is now just the 33rd player in MLB history to reach that milestone and only the third to ever do so wearing the Old English D.
Ty Cobb in 1921 (4,189 hits) and Al Kaline in 1974 (3,007 hits) are the others.
MIGGY 3️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣
Miguel Cabrera becomes the seventh MLB player to have 3,000 career hits and 500 HR 💪 pic.twitter.com/NNHGVcYqV7— ESPN (@espn) April 23, 2022
Cabrera held court for more than 20 minutes in front of his locker prior to Thursday's contest, reflecting on the impending milestone.
"That’s a special number," he said. "There’s how many, 33 guys? I’ve always dreamed about this moment. I always think about this moment, thinking about in your career where you want to be.
"I want to enjoy my moment but in the same time I want to think the same thing when I’m coming up. Winning with my teammates. It’s not fair to say I get 3,000 because of me. I get 3,000 because of my teammates."
SHAWN WINDSOR: As Miguel Cabrera nears history, let's reconsider his spot among Detroit's all-time greats
Cabrera is the first player to achieve that round figure since Albert Pujols did so with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018.
He's on an even shorter list when one considers he also has 500 career home runs — one of just seven players to reach both of those marks — a feat he achieved last summer in a road game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
That day was special, he said, but added he wanted to do this one in front of the home fans.
"I love Detroit," Cabrera said.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera gets 3,000th hit before home fans
