The Man of Motown
Miguel Cabrera: First Ballot Hall of Famer.
Who is DataBase Hit?
My name is Grant Bracey, and I’m a passionate and proud Detroit Tigers fan. I’m excited to join the team at The Skippers View and provide my thoughts on the Tigers and the game of baseball as a whole. My interest in stats and numbers influenced my love for baseball and the analytics associated with it. I have experience working in all levels of the game (independent, college, and the majors), so I feel I have valuable insights to share. I look forward to contributing more blogs as we near the start of the 2025 MLB season. If interested, please consider following me on Twitter/X for more content @DatabaseHit.
December 2007 — The Detroit Tigers acquire 24-year-old Miguel “Miggy” Cabrera from the Florida Marlins for Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, Eulogio de la Cruz, Mike Rabelo, Burke Badenhop, and Dallas Trahern. It was a blockbuster deal for Detroit that shaped the future of the Tigers franchise for the next two decades.
Detroit pre-Miggy.
From 1998 to 2005, the Detroit Tigers struggled to be competitive in the MLB. 2000 was their best season over that stretch, at 79-83. Then, the magical run in 2006 saw a Tigers Wild Card team make the World Series for the first time since 1984. Detroit’s front office wanted to build off that surprise momentum by making a splash in the trade market. Enter Miguel Cabrera.
Miggy pre-Detroit.
Miguel Cabrera, on the other hand, was no stranger to success and the spotlight. Debuting at 20 years old, hitting a walk-off home run in his first MLB game, and moving to the cleanup spot for the Marlins all within a month. Florida finished with a 91-71 record in 2003 and would go on to make the postseason as a Wild Card team. Cabrera and the Marlins ended up winning the World Series over the touted New York Yankees. Miggy finished the postseason, hitting .265/.315/.471 with 4 HR, 11 R, and 12 RBI in 17 games. His full rookie year stat line is even more impressive: .268/.325/.468, 12 HR, 39 R, 62 RBI in 87 GP. The next four seasons for Florida were no different. 33 HRs and 112 RBI in 2004, 33 and 116 in ‘05, 26 and 114 in ‘06, 34 and 119 in ‘07. An All-Star in all four seasons, receiving MVP votes in each as well. A generational talent on the rise and a commodity that any team would be lucky enough to acquire.
Detroit gets their superstar.
On March 22, 2008, a little over three months after the initial trade, Miguel Cabrera reached an agreement with the Tigers on an eight-year, $152.3 million contract extension. It was the fourth-largest in baseball history and the largest in Tigers history. All before Cabrera’s first regular season at bat with Detroit. A true commitment to secure their centerpiece for years to come.
Miguel Cabrera’s debut came on March 31, 2008, vs the Kansas City Royals. Tigers lose 5-4, but Cabrera finished with a solo home run, demonstrating his immediate impact for Detroit. Miggy finished his inaugural season with the Tigers with strong numbers. .292/.349/.537 and a career-high AL leading 37 HRs. Detroit baseball fans were hooked, and the best was yet to come.
From 2009 to 2014, the Detroit Tigers went on a historic run, and Cabrera was at the center of it all. Cabrera accumulated five All-Star bids, three Silver Slugger Awards, back-to-back MVPs, and the Triple Crown winner in 2012 — the first to accomplish such a feat in 45 years. Miggy’s baseline over those six seasons was a .300+ BA, 30+ HRs with 100+ RBI. 2014 being the exception, finishing just 5 HRs short of that mark. The Tigers, as a team, also saw great success, finishing no worse than .500 and making the postseason from 2011-to 2014 and, ultimately, the 2012 World Series.
Miguel Cabrera quickly became the biggest name in Detroit sports, changing the culture of an organization that struggled for years prior to his arrival.
Miguel Cabrera - First Ballot Hall of Famer
Miguel Cabrera will hear his name called in Cooperstown once he first becomes eligible in 2029.
Cabrera’s career stats are as good as any in the sport.
21 seasons
.306/.382/.518
3,174 Hits (17th all-time)
511 HR (25th all-time)
1,551 Runs
1,881 RBI
One of seven players in MLB history with at least 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.
One of two players with 3,000 hits, 500 home runs, 600 doubles, and .300+ BA.
So I want to say thank you, Miggy. Thank you for all the hits, clutch home runs, and walk-offs, but most importantly, the laughs and smiles you provided us fans with as we watched you play in the old English D. I look forward to watching you get inducted into the Hall of Fame among the other legends of the game in a few years.