It wasn't the fairy-tale event fans might have wanted, but Miguel Cabrera's 500th career home run is still a welcome milestone for the beloved Tigers slugger.
Miguel Cabrera, hitting at home (File photo)
Cabrera is only the 28th player in MLB history to reach the 500 mark, hitting deep to right-center field in Toronto, where the Tigers were playing the Blue Jays. The homer came in the sixth inning. (Detroit won 5-3 in 11 innings.)
The 38-year-old can add the accolade to being a Triple Crown winner, two-time MVP, World Series champion, 11-time All-Star, captain of the Detroit Tigers and "one of the greatest of all time," according to Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani.
"He's a future Hall of Famer," Tigers outfielder Robbie Grossman said. "He's going to go down as probably the greatest right-handed hitter of all time. I'm just lucky I get to be around him and be in the same clubhouse as him. I can tell my kids one day I got to play with him. At this point, I don't think anything that he does surprises me. He is just an unbelievable player."
The last player to reach 500 home runs was Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, who accomplished the feat Sept. 12, 2015. Albert Pujols did so in 2014; Gary Sheffield in April 2009 and Manny Ramirez in May 2008. (Three players did it in 2007.)
Fans have waited this summer for the expected 500th dinger to happen, and attendance climbed for home-stand games after Miggy got to 499 on Aug. 12. He now has another milestone to chase: 3,000 hits, which only 32 players have reached. He now stands at 2,952, with 48 to go.
The team promptly designated next Tuesday's 7:45 p.m. home game against the St. Louis Cardinals as "Miggy Appreciation Day," with new merch for sale:
(Photo: Twitter/Brad Galli, WXYZ)
