EL CENTRAL Hispanic News has covered the Triple Crown Winner since his first game in Detroit.
2008
In 2008, Miguel Cabrera joined the Detroit Tigers on an eight-year contract for $185.3 million. Cabrera’s contract was the fourth largest in baseball history at the time. 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.
2009
It did not take long for Cabrera to become a favorite of the fans. He finished the season with 37 home runs to lead the American League. He was the youngest AL home run champion since Troy Glaus in 2000. To the 37 home runs he added a whopping 127 RBI's. By 2009, Cabrera was a fan favorite with another great season batting .324 and getting a career high 198 hits. He played in the All-Star Game and enjoyed playing that season with Curtis Granderson, Placido Polanco pictured below.
2010
During the 2010 season, Cabrera again distinguished himself by hitting three homeruns against the Oakland A's in a single game. The accomplishment occurred on May 28th – just a few days after his return to the team from his daughter's birth. Again, he hit for a season average of .328, with 126 RBI's and 38 homeruns.
2011
Cabrera again earned a spot on the All-Star team and had his eighth straight 100-RBI season. He was walked a career high of 108 times. He became more active in the community and began plans for his Miguel Cabrera Foundation.
2012 - The Triple Crown Season
Cabrera won the Triple Crown, finishing the season with an AL-leading 44 home runs, 139 RBIs, and .330 batting average. He became the first batter to win a Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. Cabrera became the first player to win it without a tie in any of the three categories since Frank Robinson in 1966. He is the first Latin American player and the first third baseman to win a Triple Crown. Cabrera also had his first 200-hit season, having hit safely 205 times.
