Miguel Cabrera hace historia: es el primer venezolano en alcanzar los 3.000 hits en Grandes Ligas / Miguel Cabrera becomes 33rd MLB player and first Venezuelan to earn 3,000 career hits
El aragüeño completó la hazaña este sábado en la primera entrada del juego de sus Tigres de Detroit ante los Rockies de Colorado
Detroit.- Miguel Cabrera se convirtió este sábado en el primer beisbolista venezolano, y el 33º de la historia, en conectar 3.000 hits en las Grandes Ligas de béisbol.
Cabrera, uno de los mejores bateadores de la historia, completó la hazaña en la primera entrada del juego de sus Tigres de Detroit ante los Rockies de Colorado.
Tercero en el orden al bate, Cabrera conectó el hit ante su compatriota Antonio Senzatela, lanzador de los Rockies.
Alcanzada la marca, que era esperada desde hace días por la afición de los Tigres, el juego se detuvo en el Comerica Park de Detroit (Michigan) para que ‘Miggy’ recibiera una enorme ovación del público y fuera felicitado por sus compañeros.
A sus 39 años, este ídolo del deporte venezolano se une al exclusivo club de los 3.000 hits en las Grandes Ligas, al que solo pertenece otro beisbolista en activo, el dominicano Albert Pujols (Cardenales).
Pujols, que suma 3.308 hits, y Cabrera forman parte de un grupo de siete peloteros latinoamericanos en alcanzar esta marca, junto a Adrián Beltré (3.166), Alex Rodríguez (3.115), Rod Carew (3.053), Rafael Palmeiro (3.020) y Roberto Clemente (3.000).
Cabrera, además, acumula 502 jonrones en su carrera, siendo apenas uno de los siete beisbolistas en la historia en llegar a 3.000 hits y 500 jonrones.
La marca del bateador de Maracay se hizo esperar en los últimos días. El jueves recibió boleto intencional en el partido ante los Yankees de Nueva York y el viernes la lluvia obligó a aplazar el primer juego programado ante los Rockies.
Ese partido se celebrará en la tarde del sábado en una doble cartelera en el Comerica Park.
En su carrera, Cabrera ha sido 11 veces All-Star y conquistado dos premios MVP (2012 y 2013) y la Triple Corona, una de las hazañas más escasas en el béisbol.
AFP
Miguel Cabrera becomes 33rd MLB player and first Venezuelan to earn 3,000 career hits
DETROIT — Tigers star Miguel Cabrera delivered the 3,000th hit of his decorated career Saturday, becoming the 33rd major leaguer to reach the mark and the first player from Venezuela to accomplish the feat.
Still an imposing presence at 39, Cabrera made history by grounding an opposite-field single to right through the shift in the first inning of Detroit’s game against Colorado.
Cabrera immediately raised his right arm as he headed toward first base. The crowd at mostly full Comerica Park gave him a rousing ovation and chanted “Miggy! Miggy!” while fireworks were shot off from beyond the center field fence.
The milestone hit came on a 1-1 pitch from Antonio Senzatela, a fellow Venezuelan, in the first game of a day-night doubleheader. Rockies shortstop José Iglesias, who played with Cabrera on the Tigers, came over to give his former teammate a big hug.
By then, all the Tigers were streaming from the dugout to greet the newest member of baseball’s elite 3,000-hit club. Moments later, Cabrera went behind home plate to embrace his mother, wife, son and daughter on the field.
Cabrera soon returned to first base, but he didn’t stay there for long. He scored on a three-run homer by 22-year-old rookie Spencer Torkelson, who is touted as the next big thing in Detroit and has taken over as the Tigers’ regular first baseman with Cabrera now in the role of designated hitter.
When the inning ended, the scoreboard flashed, “Congratulations Miggy.” Cabrera emerged from the dugout for a curtain call, waving to fans who had been rewarded with the highlight they came to see.
Cabrera, however, wasn’t quite done. He added a two-run single in the sixth, exited for a pinch-runner and drew another huge cheer.
A two-time AL MVP, a Triple Crown winner and an 11-time All-Star with four batting titles, his place among the Major League Baseball greats already was assured long before Saturday afternoon in Detroit.
As a 20-year-old rookie, Cabrera helped the Florida Marlins win the 2003 World Series championship. All these years later, stamping his name onto the 3,000-hit list had a nice ring, too.
And it’ll certainly look good on a plaque in Cooperstown, N.Y., someday.
Cabrera became just the seventh player with 500 home runs and 3,000 hits. He joined an exclusive club with Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Rafael Palmeiro, Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez.
Last August in Toronto, Cabrera connected for his 500th homer. He’s at 502 in his 20th season.
Cabrera is the seventh Latino player to make the 3,000 chart. Hitting the mark tied him with the late Roberto Clemente, and hit No. 3,001 moved Cabrera ahead of the Pirates Hall of Famer.
Pujols was the previous player to reach 3,000 hits, doing it in 2018. He was at 3,308 going into Saturday and, at 42 with St. Louis, has said this is his final season.
The next hitter to reach 3,000? Hard to say.
Robinson Canó trailed Cabrera on the active list with 2,630 going into Saturday and is 39 years old. Yadier Molina, also 39, followed at 2,116.
Among younger players, Jose Altuve (32) has 1,783 and Freddie Freeman (32) had 1,722. Mike Trout (30) was at 1,428.
Cabrera got three hits Wednesday to get to 2,999, then struck out in his final at-bat of the night. He went 0 for 3 Thursday and was intentionally walked his final time up against the Yankees, drawing loud boos and chants from Detroit fans.
The hallowed hit remained on deck when Friday night’s game against Colorado was rained out.
Cabrera was the third player to get his 3,000th hit while with Detroit, joining Ty Cobb and Al Kaline.
While age has diminished his power to clear any fence and smash opposite-field shots to right-center, Cabrera has enjoyed a monster career at the plate.
Cabrera became the first major leaguer in 45 years to win the Triple Crown by leading the league in batting average, home runs and RBIs in 2012. That year, he won his first of two straight MVP awards and helped Detroit reach the World Series, during a stretch that included four straight division championships.
“He is one of the great right-handed hitters ever,” Yankees manager and former Marlins teammate Aaron Boone said this week.
“And 3,000 hits, 500 homers, that’s obviously rarefied air. He’s done it, you know, in bigger ballparks his entire career, between Florida and here also. You know, he’s an all-timer. He’s in that, probably inner circle, of even the Hall of Fame. It’s been a special career,” Boone said.
Cabrera boosted his total most often against James Shields, getting 27 hits against the former Tampa Bay, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City and San Diego pitcher.
Detroit acquired Cabrera in a trade with the Marlins in 2007, with Dontrelle Willis also going to the Tigers in a deal for Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin. Cabrera had 842 hits at the time.
The swap came a year after the Tigers lost the World Series to St. Louis, in the hope that Cabrera would help them win the championship for the first time since 1984.
The Tigers, though, never won it all with their superstar. Detroit was swept by San Francisco in the 2012 World Series and spent a decade in a rebuilding mode that bottomed out with 310 losses between 2017-19.
After Cabrera was an All-Star for the 11th time in 2016, his production declined and Detroit’s rate of success did as well.
The Tigers made bold moves in the offseason in a quest to be relevant with Cabrera serving as a draw to bring fans to the ballpark and to hit about one ball per game into the outfield grass with savvy swings after crushing baseballs with incredible force earlier in his career.
A top prospect in the minors, Cabrera made his big league debut in June 2003. He announced his presence to the whole baseball world that October.
Brushed back by a couple of heaters from Yankee ace Roger Clemens, Cabrera came back to launch a home run off the Rocket in helping the Marlins win the World Series.
Cabrera is almost twice as old now and is still a kid at heart, recently taking the grounds crew’s three-wheel bicycle for a ride during batting practice.
And, one of the game’s all-time greats can still get a base hit against some of the world’s best pitchers. ASSOCIATED PRESS