65-545: José Miguel Cabrera Torres (born April 18, 1983), nicknamed " Miggy ", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball first baseman , third baseman , and designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins and Detroit Tigers . Debuting in 2003, he was a two-time American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) award winner, a four-time AL batting champion , and
130-578: A .320 average. On December 5, 2007, the Marlins traded Cabrera and starting pitcher Dontrelle Willis to the Detroit Tigers for pitchers Andrew Miller , Dallas Trahern , Eulogio De La Cruz and Burke Badenhop , outfielder Cameron Maybin and catcher Mike Rabelo . On March 22, 2008, Cabrera reached an agreement with the Tigers on an eight-year, $ 152.3 million contract extension. At the time,
195-629: A .324 batting average, which was fourth in the AL. He also tied his career-high in hits with 198, which was also fourth among AL players. Cabrera also had 103 RBI on the season, making it the sixth straight year he attained the 100 RBI mark. On May 28, in a game against the Oakland Athletics in Detroit , Cabrera hit three home runs in a 5–4 Tigers loss. Two of the home runs came against starter Ben Sheets , and one against closer Andrew Bailey . It
260-475: A 12-time MLB All-Star . Although he primarily played in left and right field before 2006, he spent the majority of his major league career at first and third base. He claimed the 17th MLB Triple Crown in 2012, the first to do so in 45 seasons. Cabrera is one of three players in MLB history to have a career batting average above .300, 500 home runs , and 3,000 hits , joining Hank Aaron and Willie Mays . Cabrera
325-415: A double. As they came off the field, Olsen could be seen shouting something at Cabrera. A moment later, television cameras showed Cabrera in the crowded dugout reaching past teammates to poke his finger at Olsen as the pitcher walked past him. Olsen tried to jab back at Cabrera, who charged Olsen and tried to kick the pitcher before the players were quickly separated by teammates. Cabrera was voted to represent
390-673: A game against the Yankees. He was the sixth youngest player to reach the mark, with only Mel Ott , Jimmie Foxx , Alex Rodriguez , Ken Griffey Jr. , and Lou Gehrig being younger. Cabrera was named to the American League All-Star team as a reserve, as Rangers' third baseman Adrián Beltré was voted as the starter. This marked Cabrera's third consecutive All-Star appearance as a member of the Tigers and seventh appearance overall. On July 22, he hit his 300th career home run off White Sox starter Philip Humber . This made him
455-713: A game-winning home run in his big-league debut. Cabrera rapidly established himself, as his stellar play in July made him the Marlins' cleanup hitter. Cabrera's postseason play helped propel Florida to the World Series title over the New York Yankees and landed him on the cover of ESPN The Magazine during the offseason. He finished fifth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting, as teammate Dontrelle Willis took home
520-599: A grand slam to left-center that traveled more than 420 feet (130 m) at Comerica Park to help the Detroit Tigers to a 15–2 victory over the Texas Rangers . Cabrera finished the game 4-for-6 with six RBIs. On August 23, 2009, Cabrera hit his 200th career home run in a game against the Oakland A's. He became only the fourth Venezuelan player to ever reach that plateau. Across the 2009 season, Cabrera posted
585-476: A pinch-hit at-bat against Dan Haren in which he struck out. On September 4, Cabrera recorded his 500th RBI in the major leagues, making him the third-youngest player to accumulate 500 RBIs. Hall of Famers Mel Ott and Ted Williams were the only players to precede him in this feat. On September 15, 2007, in a game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field , Cabrera drove in at least 100 runs for
650-474: A result. Overall, Cabrera still improved on his previous year's batting performance, including a career-high .348 batting average, and received his second consecutive AL MVP award. Cabrera won four AL batting titles, including three in consecutive years (2011–2013), and batted over .300 in 11 different seasons. He hit 30 or more home runs in ten separate seasons and drove in over 100 runs in 12 separate seasons (including 11 consecutive seasons , 2004–2014). Cabrera
715-453: A strong #5 hitter to follow Cabrera in the Tigers' lineup also resulted in him drawing a career-high 89 walks, which included an AL-leading 32 intentional passes. On defense, Cabrera led all AL first basemen in errors, with 13. In the 2010 AL MVP voting, Cabrera finished second to Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers . Cabrera was named to his second AL All-Star team as a reserve in 2011, his sixth All-Star Game appearance overall. On July 15,
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#1732791893944780-469: Is a city of Venezuela , capital of the Sucre Municipality of Aragua State . Cagua is part of the metropolitan area of Maracay . Cagua was established in 1620 as "Cagua La Vieja", a town of original Spaniards. Cagua was rebuilt in its current location in 1622 with the new name of "Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Cagua", which was changed to "San José de Cagua" during the 18th century. The city
845-478: Is now known simply as Cagua. The origin of the name comes from the indigenous Cumanagoto word "Cahigua" , which means snail . Cagua is located at 458 meters above sea level in the valley of Aragua, in the northwestern part of the Aragua State . Its climate is Köppen's Tropical savannah . Cagua is one of the most important cities of Aragua state because it is close to Maracay (about 14 km away),
910-705: Is often applied as an umbrella term for all leagues — major and minor — under the authority of the Commissioner of Baseball . Operating outside the Minor League Baseball organization are many independent minor leagues such as the Atlantic League , American Association , Frontier League , and the feeder league to these the Empire Professional Baseball League . Japan has had professional baseball since
975-609: Is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada consists of the National League (founded in 1876) and the American League (founded in 1901). Historically, teams in one league never played teams in
1040-552: Is regarded as one of the greatest hitters of all time. At 16 years old, Cabrera was signed by Tigres de Aragua of the Venezuelan Winter League , where recorded his first hit as a professional in December 1999. Cabrera was signed in 1999 as an amateur free agent by the Florida Marlins , and progressed through their minor league system. He made his MLB debut in mid- 2003 at the age of 20, and contributed to
1105-401: Is the all-time leader in career home runs and hits by a Venezuelan player, surpassing Andrés Galarraga and Omar Vizquel respectively. He joined the 500 home run club in 2021 and the 3,000 hit club in 2022; he was the seventh player in MLB history to reach both milestones. Cabrera retired after the 2023 season and will continue working with the Tigers' organization as a special assistant to
1170-534: Is the most among Marlin players in history, and he is the only one to have had consecutive 100-RBI seasons. Before the 2006 season , Cabrera represented Venezuela in the inaugural World Baseball Classic ; the Venezuelan team finished seventh in the tournament. On June 22, 2006, pitcher Todd Williams let the first pitch of an attempted intentional walk get too close to the plate and Cabrera reached out and singled it to right center field. The hit occurred during
1235-567: The 2012 World Series , Cabrera hit his first World Series home run since his rookie year with the Marlins in 2003, putting Detroit on the board for the first time in two games. During the bottom of the 10th inning, Cabrera was the final out of the World Series as he struck out looking, completing the San Francisco Giants ' sweep of the Tigers. On November 15, Cabrera was named the AL's Most Valuable Player over Mike Trout of
1300-504: The China National Baseball League , Israel Baseball League , and Baseball Philippines . During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, players of black African descent were barred from playing the major leagues , though several did manage to play by claiming to be Cubans or Native Americans . As a result, a number of parallel Negro leagues were formed. However, after Jackie Robinson began playing with
1365-571: The Home Run Derby , finishing fourth in the event with 12 home runs. On September 26, in a game against the Cleveland Indians , Cabrera suffered a high ankle sprain while getting back to first base on a pick-off attempt. He initially tried to play, but the Tigers decided to shut him down for the remainder of the season. Cabrera ended the 2010 season with a .328 batting average, a career-high 38 home runs, and 126 RBIs. The lack of
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#17327918939441430-545: The Los Angeles Angels , receiving 22 out of 28 first-place votes and 362 points from a panel of Baseball Writers' Association of America. Baseball Hall of Famer Al Kaline was quoted in 2013 as saying that Cabrera's performance was "unbelievable", and that Cabrera was "already qualified for Cooperstown." Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports called Cabrera "the greatest player in the game of baseball." Barry Bonds agreed with Nightengale's analysis, adding "He's
1495-589: The Pittsburgh Pirates ' shortstop Freddy Sanchez for the National League batting crown until the last day of the regular season. Marlins manager Joe Girardi decided to bat Cabrera leadoff for the final game of the season to give him more chances to get a hit for the crown. He ended up finishing second to Sanchez. Cabrera also finished the 2006 campaign with a .568 slugging percentage and a .430 on-base percentage. On February 17, Cabrera became
1560-552: The 10th inning, scoring the winning run to give the Marlins a 6–5 lead over the Baltimore Orioles . During a July 9, 7–6 road loss to the New York Mets , Cabrera became involved in an altercation with teammate Scott Olsen . With the Marlins trailing 2–0, Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca hit a hard grounder that glanced off Cabrera's glove and rolled into left field, allowing a run to score as Lo Duca raced to second with
1625-700: The 1930s. Nippon Professional Baseball consists of two leagues, the Central League and the Pacific League , each with six teams. South Korea has had professional baseball since 1982. There are 10 teams in KBO League . Taiwan has had professional baseball since the 1990s. The Chinese Professional Baseball League absorbed Taiwan Major League in 2003. There are currently 6 teams in the CPBL. Other Asian leagues include three now defunct leagues,
1690-589: The 30 home run mark. Cabrera was voted the American League Player of the Month for August after batting .357 with six doubles, eight home runs, 24 RBI, 19 runs scored, and 12 walks in 26 games. This was the second time that Cabrera was named player of the month for the Tigers as he joined Alan Trammell as the only Tigers to win the award more than once. Cabrera won the Triple Crown , finishing
1755-475: The AL MVP award that year. In the first half of 2013 , Cabrera was on pace to shatter his numbers from his prior Triple Crown season. He became the first player to ever reach 30 home runs and 90 RBIs before the all-star break and was on pace to bat .366 with 53 home runs and 167 RBIs at that time. However, injuries plagued much of the latter half of the season and both his performance and playing time were reduced as
1820-599: The AL in on-base percentage (.442), slugging percentage (.636), OPS (1.078) and OPS+ (190). He finished second in the league in home runs (44), RBIs (137), and runs scored (103), and was third in walks (90). On October 24, Cabrera was honored with his second consecutive Sporting News MLB Player of the Year Award. He was the fourth player in history to win this award in back-to-back seasons, joining Ted Williams (1941–42), Joe Morgan (1975–76), and Albert Pujols (2008–09). Professional baseball Professional baseball
1885-664: The American League. He became the youngest AL home run champion since Troy Glaus in 2000. He also established a new career high in RBIs (127). He became one of only six players who had driven in at least 100 runs in each of the past five seasons, joining Alex Rodriguez , Albert Pujols , David Ortiz , Bobby Abreu , and Mark Teixeira . Cabrera was selected to play for Venezuela at the 2009 World Baseball Classic , along with Tigers teammates Magglio Ordóñez , Carlos Guillén , and Armando Galarraga . On Opening Day, Cabrera hit
1950-413: The Marlins' World Series victory later that year. Over the next four seasons, Cabrera was a regular player for the Marlins before being traded to the Detroit Tigers before the 2008 season. In 2012 , Cabrera became the first player since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 to win the batting Triple Crown, leading the AL with a .330 batting average , 44 home runs , and 139 runs batted in (RBI), earning him
2015-443: The Month honors for both July and September. On April 20, 2004, Cabrera recorded his 100th career hit, an RBI single in the seventh inning against Roberto Hernández . In 2004, Cabrera batted .294 with 33 home runs, 112 RBIs, 101 runs, 177 hits, a .366 on-base percentage , and a .512 slugging percentage from the third and fourth spots in the order, while playing in 160 games and earning his first All-Star appearance. Cabrera spent
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2080-550: The National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, oversees nearly all minor league baseball in the United States and Canada. The minor leagues are divided into classes AAA, AA, High-A, A, and Rookie. These minor-league divisions are affiliated with major league teams, and serve to develop young players and rehabilitate injured major-leaguers. "Affiliated baseball" (archaically, " organized baseball ")
2145-553: The National League All-Stars for the third time in his career and made his first appearance in the Home Run Derby . Cabrera finished in third place with 15 home runs in the event. With teammates Josh Willingham and Dan Uggla hitting behind and ahead of him respectively, Cabrera finished the year with a .339 batting average, 26 home runs, and 114 RBIs. He was selected for his third consecutive All-Star Game and won his second Silver Slugger Award. Cabrera battled
2210-513: The Tigers into the playoffs and eventually the American League Championship Series. In the 2011 ALCS, Cabrera hit .400 with four doubles, three home runs, and seven RBI, and posted a 1.606 OPS, but the Tigers fell to the Texas Rangers in six games. Through 2011, he had the sixth-best career batting average of all active players (.317), and seventh-best slugging percentage (.555) and OPS (.950). In 2012 , after
2275-678: The award. In the NLDS against the Giants , Cabrera hit .286 with three RBIs. After changing positions in the heat of the NLCS against the Chicago Cubs , he hit .333 with three homers and six RBIs, including clutch home runs in Game 1 and Game 7 that gave the Marlins crucial leads. In Game 4 of the 2003 World Series against the Yankees, Cabrera faced Roger Clemens for the first time in his career. In
2340-504: The best. By far. Without a doubt. The absolute best." Cabrera continued a torrid pace into the 2013 season , being named American League Player of the Month for May. Cabrera batted .379 (44-for-116) with nine doubles, 12 home runs, 33 RBIs, 23 runs scored, and 15 walks in 28 games to claim his third career Player of the Month Award. Cabrera previously won top player honors in July 2008 and August 2012. The week of August 5–11, Cabrera
2405-407: The deal was the fourth-largest in baseball history, behind those signed by Alex Rodriguez , Derek Jeter , and Manny Ramirez . The deal was also the largest in Tigers history at the time, surpassing the five-year, $ 75 million contract signed by Magglio Ordóñez in 2005 (it was later surpassed in 2012 when Prince Fielder signed a nine-year, $ 214 million deal) Cabrera earned $ 11.3 million in 2008 and
2470-565: The entire 2004 season playing in the outfield and had 13 outfield assists . In 284 total fielding chances, he committed nine errors (tied for the most among NL outfielders) and made 262 putouts . Cabrera also appeared in his first career all-star game, as a reserve. Cabrera hit an RBI scoring forceout in the 8th inning to drive in Moisés Alou . In 2005, Cabrera finished second in the National League in hits with 198 and batted .323 with 33 home runs, 43 doubles, two triples, and 116 RBIs. He
2535-840: The final eight games batting .250 with 6 RBIs for the New York–Penn League (NYPL) Blue Sox in Utica, New York . While playing that winter for the Tigres de Aragua in the Venezuelan Winter League , manager Bill Plummer moved Cabrera from shortstop to third base. Heading into 2001, the Marlins bumped Cabrera up to the Low Class-A Kane County Cougars . He earned his way into the Futures Game during All-Star Weekend in Seattle, along with González. He ended
2600-550: The first Latin American player and the first third baseman to win a Triple Crown. Cabrera also had his first career 200-hit season, having hit safely 205 times. He was named The Sporting News Player of the Year . On October 27, 2012 he was awarded the AL Hank Aaron Award . Cabrera also led the AL in slugging (.606), OPS (.999), total bases (377), and led the majors in hitting into double plays (28). In Game 4 of
2665-797: The first game after the All-Star break, Cabrera collected his 1,500th career hit, in a game against the Chicago White Sox . During the 2011 season, Cabrera hit for a .344 average, winning the AL batting title , while also leading the AL in on-base percentage (.448) and doubles (48). He had his eighth straight 100-RBI season (105) and fifth straight 30-HR season (30). He also reached a new career-high in walks with 108. On defense, Cabrera led all AL first basemen in errors, with 13. Cabrera hit .429 with six home runs and 21 RBIs in September 2011, propelling
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2730-602: The first inning, Clemens threw a 92-mph fastball in the vicinity of Cabrera's chin, causing Cabrera to turn and stare at Clemens. Later in the at-bat, Cabrera hit a pitch to deep right field for a two-run home run. The home run would give the Marlins an early 2–0 lead en route to a 4–3 Marlins victory that evened the series at two games apiece. Cabrera and the Marlins would go on to win the 2003 World Series in 6 games. In his first season, Cabrera batted .268 (84-for-314), with 12 home runs, 62 RBIs, 39 runs , 21 doubles , and three triples in 87 games played and received NL Rookie of
2795-412: The first player of the 2007 offseason to win his arbitration hearing, obtaining a one-year contract worth $ 7.4 million. Cabrera made his fourth consecutive All-Star game. He was initially scheduled to participate in the Home Run Derby during the All-Star weekend, but an injured left shoulder suffered a few days before the All-Star break, forced him out of the derby and limited him in the All-Star game to
2860-522: The four previous seasons. In 2007, Cabrera won the NL Player of the Week twice (April 1–8 and June 4–10). He also passed former Marlins Gary Sheffield and Derrek Lee for second on the franchise home run list. Cabrera moved into third in all-time franchise RBIs and first in batting average. Cabrera ended the 2007 season with career highs in both home runs (34) and runs batted in (119) while hitting for
2925-422: The fourth consecutive year. His 100th RBI came in the first inning against Ubaldo Jiménez . Five innings later, Cabrera added four more RBIs when he hit a ball 438 feet (134 m) into the center field trees for his first career grand slam . He joined David Ortiz , Alex Rodriguez , Albert Pujols , Mark Teixeira , Bobby Abreu , and Vladimir Guerrero as the only players to reach the 100-RBI plateau in each of
2990-706: The major-league Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, the Negro leagues gradually faded. The process of integration did not go entirely smoothly; there were some ugly incidents, including pitchers who would try to throw directly at a black player's head. Now, however, baseball is fully integrated, and there is little to no racial tension between teammates. Between 1943 and 1954, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League fielded teams in several Midwestern towns. Cagua Cagua ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkaɣwa] )
3055-476: The majors. In April, he hit .402, and by June his average stood at .365 with 10 homers and 59 RBIs before being called up to the majors. Cabrera made his major league debut on June 20, 2003, at 20 years old. Cabrera hit a walk-off home run in his first major league game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, following Billy Parker in 1972 and Josh Bard in 2002 as the third player since 1900 to hit
3120-510: The other until the World Series , in which the champions of the two leagues played against each other. This changed in 1997 with the advent of interleague play . The Philadelphia Phillies , founded in 1883, are the oldest continuous same-name, same-city franchise in both Major League Baseball and all of American professional sports. In addition to the major leagues, many North American cities and towns feature minor league teams. An organization officially styled Minor League Baseball , formerly
3185-521: The president of baseball operations. Cabrera was born in Maracay , Aragua State , Venezuela, to parents Miguel Cabrera and Gregoria Torres de Cabrera. Growing up, Cabrera showed interest in volleyball as well as baseball. From early on, he was guided by his maternal uncle, David Torres. At 14, he was enrolled in a baseball school in Cagua , so he could continue his studies while still playing ball. Miguel
3250-579: The same point. Cabrera became the first player in MLB history to have at least 30 home runs and 90 RBIs before the All-Star break. Cabrera was voted in as the starter at third base for the first time in the fan balloting for the 2013 Major League All-Star Game . Cabrera won the ESPY Award in 2013 for Best MLB Player. On July 9, 2013, he hit his 350th career home run, against the Chicago White Sox. On August 18, Cabrera hit his 40th home run of
3315-483: The season in a game against the Kansas City Royals , joining Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx as the only MLB players in history to have at least 40 home runs, 120 RBIs and a batting average of .350 or higher through 116 games. Cabrera also became the third Tigers player in history to hit 40 or more home runs in consecutive seasons, joining Hank Greenberg ( 1937 – 38 ) and Cecil Fielder ( 1990 – 91 ). Cabrera
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#17327918939443380-466: The season with an AL-leading .330 batting average, plus 44 home runs and 139 RBIs which led all of Major League Baseball. He became the first batter to win a Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. Cabrera became the first non-outfielder to win the Triple Crown since Lou Gehrig in 1934, the first player to win it without a tie in any of the three categories since Frank Robinson in 1966, and
3445-449: The season. Cabrera finished the regular season with a .348 batting average, and won his third straight AL batting title . Cabrera became the first Tiger to win three consecutive batting titles since Ty Cobb ( 1917 – 1919 ), the first American Leaguer to win at least three straight since Wade Boggs (1985–88), and the first right-handed batter in either league to win three straight batting titles since Rogers Hornsby (1920–25). He also led
3510-437: The second Venezuelan-born player to reach this milestone, joining Andrés Galarraga who hit 399. On August 15, Cabrera became the first player in Detroit Tigers history to hit 30 home runs in five consecutive seasons, passing Hank Greenberg ( 1937 – 40 ) and Cecil Fielder ( 1990 – 93 ), who each had four consecutive 30 home run seasons. This also marked the eighth time in the last nine seasons overall that Cabrera had reached
3575-507: The signing of first baseman Prince Fielder , the Tigers announced Cabrera would move back to third base. In a spring training game against the Philadelphia Phillies , Cabrera was struck below the right eye by a ground ball off the bat of Hunter Pence , which broke a bone. Despite this, after seeing the team's orbital surgeon , Dr. Srinivas Iyengar, Cabrera believed he would be ready for opening day on April 5. He was, and
3640-484: The starting third baseman. Cabrera had already made seven appearances at first, the first appearances at the position of his career. Cabrera was named the AL Player of the Month for July after batting .330 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs. On September 7, Cabrera reached the 1,000-hit plateau on a home run off Twins pitcher Glen Perkins . Cabrera finished the 2008 season with a career-high 37 home runs, which led
3705-641: The year batting .268 with 30 extra-base hits , 66 RBIs, and distinguished himself as having the strongest arm in the Midwest League . Entering the following season, Cabrera was once again promoted, this time to the Jupiter Hammerheads of the High Class-A Florida State League . At the request of the Marlins coach Ozzie Guillén , Cabrera made the transition from shortstop to third base . By July, his average
3770-578: Was at .277, and he led his team with 45 RBI earning himself a second trip to the Future's game, where he collected two singles . He finished the season batting .278 with 43 doubles and 75 RBIs. Up to this point, he hit just nine homers in his 489 at-bats. To begin the 2003 season, Cabrera earned another promotion to the Double-A Carolina Mudcats . There he again teamed up with Willis, the left-handed fireballer with whom he would join in
3835-515: Was in the starting lineup on Opening Day. On April 7, Cabrera and new teammate Fielder each hit two home runs against the Red Sox , including back-to-back homers in the fifth inning. That week, from April 4–8, Cabrera was named AL Player of the Week, his ninth time achieving that honor, five of them being with Detroit. Cabrera hit 5-for-11 in three games over that span with three home runs and eight RBI. On April 27, Cabrera collected his 1,000th RBI in
3900-579: Was named the American League Co-Player of the Week, with fellow Tigers teammate Austin Jackson . Cabrera batted .429 (12-for-28) with two doubles, four home runs, 11 RBIs, and seven runs scored over seven games, to win his 10th career player of the week award. As of the 2013 All-Star break, Cabrera was hitting .365 with 30 home runs and a league-leading 95 RBIs, considerably ahead of the pace he set during his 2012 Triple Crown season at
3965-489: Was named the American League Player of the Month for August. Cabrera batted .356 (36-for-101) with five doubles, 11 home runs, 31 RBIs, 17 runs scored, and 13 walks in 27 games to claim his fourth career Player of the Month Award and his second of the 2013 season , after claiming the award for May. Following the All-Star Break, Cabrera suffered injuries including a groin strain that limited his playing time later in
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#17327918939444030-568: Was signed by the Marlins in 1999 as an amateur free agent and came up through their farm system , teaming with future major leaguers Adrián González and Dontrelle Willis . He began his professional career in 2000 as a shortstop in the Gulf Coast League (GCL). After batting .260 with 10 doubles , two triples , and two home runs through 57 games for the GCL Marlins , Cabrera was promoted to Class-A ball where he finished
4095-438: Was the first three-home run game in Cabrera's career and came in his first game returning to the team after his daughter's birth. Cabrera was named an AL All-Star for the first time since joining the American League, and the fifth time in his eight-year career. He was chosen to be the starter in place of Minnesota Twins star Justin Morneau , who had suffered a concussion against the Tigers on July 9. Cabrera also participated in
4160-467: Was to receive an average of $ 20 million per year through 2015. Cabrera made his Tigers debut on March 31, 2008, playing third base in a home game against the Kansas City Royals . In his third at-bat, he hit a solo home run off Royals pitcher Gil Meche . He finished the game 1-for-5 with two strikeouts, and the Tigers lost 5–4 in 11 innings. On April 22, manager Jim Leyland announced that Cabrera would be moving to first base, with Carlos Guillén becoming
4225-427: Was voted to his second consecutive All-Star Game, along with teammates Paul Lo Duca and Willis, and won his first Silver Slugger Award . Cabrera's 33 home runs made him the youngest player in Major League Baseball history with back-to-back 30-homer seasons, at 22 years, 143 days. Albert Pujols performed the feat at 22 years, 223 days. Cabrera ultimately would have four seasons with at least 100 runs batted in, which
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