2023-07-29 06:21:49
MIAMI — Miguel Cabrera’s goodbye tour has reached a special place.
The Detroit Tigers slugger is nearing the final two months of his major league career. And in his last season, the Venezuelan has received multiple tributes when he visits the parks.
This weekend, the honors will have a special meaning.
The Tigers open a three-game series in Miami once morest the Marlins on Friday. Cabrera, 40, returns to the city where he spent his first five seasons and confronts the organization that hired him shortly following his 16th birthday.
“This is very emotional, because this is where it all started,” Cabrera said before Friday’s game. “It’s amazing to be here.”
The Marlins snapped up the 20-year-old Cabrera two months into the 2003 season. Cabrera made an immediate impact, capping the game with a home run as the Marlins beat Tampa Bay in their game. debut in the majors.
“I remember that well, because in all the stadiums that I have visited, that is the first image in the videos that are presented,” Cabrera said. “My classmates make fun of me, because I was very skinny then.”
That hit was an omen of what was to come. Cabrera played a starring role in the Marlins’ 2003 postseason run, which culminated in a World Series title.
The Venezuelan was elected to the All-Star Game four times during his time in Miami. But the club, fearful of losing him as a free agent once he became eligible, instead gave him up to Detroit following the 2007 season.
“When they made that call to me, I had a lot of questions regarding why they were trading me,” Cabrera recalled. “The club had a good and very young group, which was growing tremendously. If that group had stayed together, we would have had a chance to fight for the division. They told me to calm down, that I was going to a club with a good chance of winning.”
Cabrera blossomed in Detroit to become one of the most fearsome hitters in the majors. He has twice been named the Most Valuable Player of the American League.
He won the Junior Circuit Triple Crown, something not achieved since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.
But offensive production, which included four AL batting titles, declined following Cabrera turned 30. Yet he had 3,000 hits and 500 home runs less than two seasons ago.
Now limited to occasional appearances, Cabrera will play all three games once morest Miami. The second, scheduled for Saturday, will be promoted as Venezuelan Heritage Day.
“This is a big thing for me and my family,” Cabrera said of the ceremony. “You have to enjoy this moment, every second, every minute. After that, you have to prepare for the game and do your best to help our team win.”
1690620022
#Cabrera #receives #tribute #Marlins #team