By: Nate Underdog
As an era starts to close on two of the greatest athletes to ever swing a bat we look back on the history and legacy they leave behind. I struggled with how I wanted to start this article, how to write about these two giants of the game, two grown men who played a child’s game with passion and love, at a level very few ever have.
José Miguel Cabrera Torres (born April 18, 1983), nicknamed “Miggy”
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara (born January 16, 1980) nicknamed “The Machine”
As a lifelong fan of the Detroit Tigers, it’s easy to be bias, but this isn’t an argument of which one is the better player. A friend of mine, a much younger friend, once said you need to stop looking at the flaws, mistakes, and just appreciate the greatness of what you’re watching because it doesn’t come around every day. Somehow that had a profound impact on me. As you get older you become more judgmental as a fan or team rivals and worst of all comparisons of players across eras. Who is the greatest at anything will always be an opinion and fun to argue but we lose focus on what we are privileged to watch in real time and don’t often appreciate it until after he or she has retired.
So why do I want to write about these two men, and why now? Well, its simple with injuries and rest days so prevalent in today’s modern game these might be the last two in a very elite, very rare class, 3000+ hits and 500+ hrs, a group so elite that only 7 players in 140+ years have accomplished that goal. But to be honest I only count 5 personally because Rafael Palmeiro and Alex Rodriguez took short cuts to those milestones, but again just my opinion, but shows just how incredible rare reaching these milestones are.
I have always appreciated how sports can bring people of all different backgrounds, experiences, and situations together. How they can lift us up or bring us to tears with one swing of the bat, a last second shot, an overtime goal, millions of people of all different races, religions, sexual preferences whatever it may be feel the same high or low at that same moment. No one can prove that better than these two men, Albert Pujols born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and Miguel Cabrera born Maracay, Venezuela both had to leave everything they ever known at such a young age to come to America and chase their childhood dream. So, during this article I will highlight some of their greatest moments and milestones.
Pujols was raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, mostly by his grandmother, and 10 of his uncles and aunts. His father, Bienvenido Pujols, was a softball pitcher who struggled with alcoholism. Growing up Pujols practiced baseball using limes for balls and a milk carton for a glove. Pujols, his father, and his grandmother immigrated in 1996 to Washington Heights in New York City, Pujols witnessed a shooting at a bodega. Because of this they moved to Independence, Missouri. Pujols played baseball at Fort Osage High School in Independence. As a senior, he was walked 55 times intentionally, still hitting 8 home runs in 33 at bats. After graduating from high school, he was given a baseball scholarship to Maple Woods Community College. Playing shortstop, he batted .461 with 22 home runs as a freshman before deciding to enter the MLB draft.
Pujols was drafted in the 13th round of the 1999 (MLB) Draft, when the St. Louis Cardinals selected him with the 402nd overall pick. Pujols initially turned down a $10,000 bonus but signed when the Cardinals increased it to 60k. Pujols began his minor league career in 2000 playing third base with the Peoria Chiefs of the single-A Midwest League. He hit .324 with 17hrs and 84rbi in 109 games being voted MVP. Pujols made the Cards opening day roster in 2001, and April 2nd, 2001, opening day against the Colorado Rockies he recorded his 1st major league hit a single off Mike Hampton. Four days later, he had three hits and three RBI, including his first home run, against the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Armando Reynoso. Pujols became the first Cardinals rookie since Luis Arroyo in 1955 to make the All-Star Game He finished his rookie season hitting .329, 47 doubles, 37hrs, 112 runs and setting the rookie record with 130 rbi finishing 4th in the NL MVP. They went to the postseason that 2001 year where Pujols only went 2-18 but hit his 1st postseason hr, a 2-run game winner in game 2 off Randy Johnson.
In 2005 Pujols wins his 1st NL MVP with .330, 38 doubles, 41 hrs, 117 rbi, 129 runs.
April 21, 2006 Pujols cranks out 1,000th career hit with a 2 run shot against the Cubs Jerome Williams. Pujols finished that year 2nd in NL MVP while winning his 1st Gold Glove at 1st base and breaking the record of his 49 home runs, 20 accounted for a game-winning RBI, breaking Willie Mays’ single-season record set in 1962. Also winning his 1st of four consecutive Fielding Bible Awards for the first base position. Finishing a magical 2006 with the Cardinals beating the Detroit tigers to win the World Series giving Pujols his first ring.
Pujols began 2008 by reaching base in 42 straight games, the longest streak to open a season since Derek Jeter reached base in the first 53 games of 1999. Pujols hit his 300th home run against Bob Howry on July 4 after the game saying “just another homer that goes out of the park. I’m happy to do it in front of our fans — they were waiting for it.” On September 11, in a loss to the Cubs Pujols hit his 100th RBI of the season making him the third player in major league history to start his career with eight seasons of at least 100 RBI and showing how much, he just wants to win “I wish it would have come with a great win. It would have been more special.”
On April 25, 2009, Pujols picked up his 1,000th career RBI with a 441-foot grand slam against David Patton in a victory over the Cubs. “I hit that ball as good as I can hit a ball,” he said after the game. On July 3, he hit his 10th career grand slam against Weathers in a victory over the Reds, breaking Musial’s record for most grand slams by a Cardinal. The grand slam was also his 350th career home run, making him the third-fastest player to reach the milestone, behind Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey, Jr. All leading the way for his 3rd NL MVP and 5th silver slugger award.
On August 26, 2010, he hit his 400th career home run against Jordan Zimmermann, On September 11, Pujols had three RBI and reached 100 RBI for the 10th consecutive year Foxx and Rodriguez are the only two players besides Pujols to have 10 consecutive years of 30 home runs and 100 RBI. Winning his 6th silver slugger and finishing 2nd in the MVP voting.
On July 30, 2011, in a win vs the Cubs, he got his 2,000th career hit against Carlos Mármol, becoming the 12th-fastest major leaguer by games to reach the milestone. On October 22, in Game 3 of the World Series, Pujols had five hits, three home runs, four runs scored and six RBI. He joined Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only players in baseball history to hit three home runs in a World Series game, set a series record with 14 total bases, became the first player in series history to have hits in four consecutive innings, and tied records for most hits and most RBI in a World Series game. On his way to winning his 2nd World Series. After the season he became a free agent for the 1st time and December 8, he signed a 10-year deal with the Angels worth around $254 million.
On April 22, 2014, Pujols hit his 499th and 500th home runs of his career off Taylor Jordan, became the 26th player ever to reach the 500-home run mark, as well as the third youngest to reach it. Pujols collected his 2,500th career hit, a two-run go-ahead double off Jared Burton on September 6, against the Minnesota Twins. He became the fifth player in major league history with 2,500 hits and 500 home runs while maintaining a .310 lifetime batting average.
On June 3, 2017, Pujols became the ninth player in Major League history to hit at least 600 home runs, when he hit a grand slam off Ervin Santana Minnesota Twins. On May 4, 2018, Pujols recorded his 3,000th major league hit, against Mike Leake of the Seattle Mariners
On May 9, 2019, Pujols became the fourth player in major league history to record 2,000 RBIs, hitting a solo home run On August 24 2020, Pujols passed Alex Rodriguez to reach second on the all-time RBIs list, On September 18 2020, Pujols hit his 661st career home run to pass Willie Mays for fifth place all-time.
Albert Pujols is a 10x All-Star, 2x World Series Champion, 3x NL MVP, 2x Gold Glover, 6x Silver Slugger, with 1 Batting Title. with Career numbers of .296 Batting Avg, 3324 career hits, 683 hrs, 676 doubles, 117 stolen bases, 2167 RBI, 1358 walks and still counting. This being his final season.
My Favorite Pujols quotes show the type of player and man he was:
“At the end of the day, when all is said and done playing this game … it doesn’t matter what you did in the field, it’s what you do off the field and the lives that you touch off the field”
“I’m a teammate guy, so whatever I can do to help my team to win like I have the past two years, that’s what I want to do. If it takes for me to play first base, third base, right field, I just want to win the game.”
“There’s three things that as a professional athlete you want. You want to get to the big leagues, and I accomplished that. Winning a World Series ring, I got that. And then getting to the Hall of Fame. That’s everybody’s dream. Every athlete, they want to be up there in the Hall of Fame, mentioned with the greatest players to ever play this game.”
Cabrera was born in Maracay, Aragua State, Venezuela, to parents Miguel and Gregoria Cabrera. His father was a welder and his mother represented Venezuela in softball. He has a sister named Carla Ruth. His parents, who are now divorced, put immense pressure on him to succeed as a baseball player. Initially trained by his uncle, former St. Louis Cardinals player David Torres, he travelled to the United States when he was 15 and joined Florida Marlins as an amateur free agent.
He began his professional career in 2000 as a shortstop in the Gulf Coast League batting .260 with 10 doubles, two triples, and two home runs through 57 games. 2001, the Marlins bumped Cabrera up to the Low Class-A Kane County Cougars. He ended the year batting .268 with 30 extra-base hits, 66 RBIs 2002 At the request of then Marlins coach Ozzie Guillén, Cabrera made the transition from shortstop to third base. Cabrera was once again promoted, this time to the Jupiter Hammerheads of the High Class-A Florida State League. He finished the season batting .278 with 43 doubles and 75 RBIs. 2003 season, Cabrera earned another promotion to the Double-A Carolina Mudcats. 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 Ray. 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. While winning a World Series.
In 2004, Cabrera batted .294 with 33 home runs, 112 RBIs, 101 runs, 177 hits, a .366 on-base percentage, Earning his 1st All-Star appearance. Cabrera spent the entire 2004 season playing in the outfield and had 13 outfield assists.
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. Cabrera made his 2nd All-Star Game, won his 1st Silver Slugger, 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.
In 2006, Cabrera finished the year with a .339 batting average, 26 home runs, and 114 RBIs. Going to his 3rd straight All-Star game and winning his 2nd Silver Slugger.
On September 4, 2007, Cabrera recorded his 500th RBI as a major leaguer, 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. Cabrera ended the 2007 season with career highs in both home runs (34) and runs batted in (119) while hitting for 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. 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. Cabrera finished the 2008 season with a career-high 37 home runs, which led 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.
On August 23, 2009, Cabrera hit his 200th career home run in his 1,000th career game against the Oakland A’s. He became only the fourth Venezuelan player to ever reach that plateau.
Cabrera posted a .324 batting average also had 103 RBI on the season, making it the sixth straight year he attained the 100 RBI mark.
Cabrera ended the 2010 season with a .328 batting average, a career-high 38 home runs, and 126 RBIs. Drawing a career-high 89 walks, which included an AL-leading 32 intentional passes.
On July 15, 2011, Cabrera collected his 1500th career hit, in a game against the Chicago White Sox. 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 April 27, 2012, Cabrera collected his 1,000th RBI in 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. On July 22, he hit his 300th career home run off White Sox starter Philip Humber. This made him 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, marking the eighth time in the last nine seasons overall that Cabrera had reached the 30-home run mark. Cabrera won the Triple Crown, finishing the season with an AL-leading .330 batting average, plus 44 home runs and 139 RBIs which led all Major League Baseball. He became the first batter to win a Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. Cabrera was named the AL’s Most Valuable Player over Mike Trout.
On July 9, 2013, Cabrera hit his 350th career home run, against the Chicago White Sox. On August 18, Cabrera hit his 40th home run of 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 won his second consecutive American League MVP Award. Cabrera became the first American League player to win back-to-back MVP awards since Frank Thomas of the Chicago White Sox (1993–1994).
On April 4, 2014, in a game against the Baltimore Orioles, Cabrera hit a two-run home run to notch his 2,000th career hit, becoming the ninth player to reach 2,000 hits before his 31st birthday and the seventh youngest to reach the mark. On September 7, Cabrera recorded his 100th RBI of the season, reaching the milestone for the 11th consecutive season. Cabrera was the fifth player in major league history to accomplish this feat, joining Lou Gehrig (13 seasons), Jimmie Foxx (13 seasons), Alex Rodriguez (13 seasons), and Al Simmons (11 seasons). Cabrera finished the regular season with a .313 batting average, 25 home runs, 109 RBI and a league-leading 52 doubles; he led both leagues with 11 sacrifice flies.
On May 16, 2015, Cabrera hit his 400th career home run, against Tyler Lyons of the St. Louis Cardinals, making him the all-time leader in home runs among Venezuelan-born players, surpassing the previous record holder, Andrés Galarraga. At the age of 32 years, 28 days, he became the third-youngest active player to reach this milestone, behind Albert Pujols (30 years, 222 days) and Alex Rodriguez (29 years, 316 days), and the eighth youngest in history. On May 21, Cabrera recorded his 1,400th career RBI. At the age of 32 years, 33 days, he was the fifth-youngest player to reach the milestone. On August 16, he recorded his 1,426th career RBI to surpass Galarraga for the most RBIs by a Venezuelan-born player. his .338 batting average led the major leagues and earned him his fourth AL batting title in the last five years. He was the seventh player in history to win at least four AL batting titles, following Ty Cobb, Harry Heilmann, Wade Boggs, Rod Carew, Ted Williams, and Nap Lajoie. Cabrera won his sixth Silver Slugger award, and second at first base, becoming the 18th player to win at least six Silver Slugger Awards. Cabrera joined Alex Rodriguez as the only players with multiple Silver Slugger Awards at different infield positions.
On May 23, 2016, Cabrera hit his 500th career double, becoming the 62nd player all time to reach the milestone. On June 12, Cabrera recorded his 2,400th career hit in his 2,000th career game, becoming the fifth-youngest player in MLB history to reach the milestone, at 33 years, 55 days old. On July 22, Cabrera recorded his 1,500th career RBI, becoming the 56th player in major league history to reach the milestone. Cabrera reached 1,500 RBI with 400+ home runs faster than anyone in Major League history. He was one of six active players with at least 400 home runs and 1,500 RBI and was more than two years younger than any of the other five.
On August 18, Cabrera recorded his 1,000th RBI as a member of the Tigers. On September 5, Cabrera hit his 30th home run of the season and his 300th home run as a Tiger. On September 18, Cabrera recorded his 2,500th career hit, off the Indians’ Trevor Bauer, becoming the 100th player in Major League history to reach the milestone, and the eighth player to do so by his age-33 season. He was the fourth youngest (33 years, 181 days) to reach 2,500 hits, following Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, and Hank Aaron. Cabrera finished the 2016 season with a .316 batting average, 38 home runs, 31 doubles, and 108 RBI. Cabrera won the 2016 AL Silver Slugger Award for first basemen, his seventh Silver Slugger Award overall, and third award at first base. He was one of 13 Major League players to have won seven or more Silver Slugger awards since the award was introduced in 1980.
Back ailments and stiffness plagued Cabrera throughout the 2017 season, May 2, 2017, fresh off the IR and hit his 450th career home run that night. June 2, Cabrera recorded his 1,000th career extra-base hit, becoming the 39th player in Major League history to reach the milestone. July 20, Cabrera recorded his 1,600th career RBI, becoming the 36th player in Major League history to reach the milestone. Cabrera finished 2017 with a career-low .249 batting average and a career-low .399 slugging percentage, while hitting 16 home runs and driving in 60 runs in 130 games. He finished the 2018 season with a .299 batting average, three home runs, and 22 RBIs in 38 games.
Cabrera struggled with knee issues in 2019, which had the Tigers moving him into a full-time designated hitter role by early June. He hit .282 for the year with 12 home runs and 59 RBI in 139 games. His .398 slugging percentage was the lowest of his career.
On August 29, 2020, Cabrera collected three hits in a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins passing former Tiger Charlie Gehringer for 50th on the all-time MLB hits list with 2,841. This made Cabrera one of only 16 major league players to place in the top 50 all-time for hits, home runs and RBIs. On August 30 against the Twins, Cabrera recorded his 2,000th career hit as a Tiger, becoming the eighth Tiger player to reach the milestone. Cabrera hit .250/.329/.417 with a team-leading 10 home runs and 35 RBI in 57 games. Through season’s end, he ranked 23rd all-time in doubles (581), 23rd in total bases (4,942), 24th in RBIs (1,729), 30th in home runs (487) and tied for 46th in hits (2,866).
On April 1, 2021, with a home run in his first at-bat of the 2021 season, Cabrera became the second Tigers player to record 350 home runs and 2,000 hits with the team, following Al Kaline. May 12 game against the Kansas City Royals, Cabrera surpassed Omar Vizquel for the most career hits by a Venezuelan-born player (2,878). June 1, Cabrera recorded his 400th career double with the Tigers, becoming the eighth Tiger in franchise history to reach the milestone. Cabrera’s 585th career double on June 15 moved him into the all-time MLB top 20. August 22, Cabrera hit his 500th career home run in the 6th inning off Steven Matz of the Toronto Blue Jays, becoming the 28th player in Major League history to reach the milestone, and the first player to do so as a Tiger. On September 7 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cabrera passed Ichiro Suzuki for the most career hits in MLB interleague play with 369. September 20, Cabrera recorded his 1,800th career RBI, becoming the 20th player in history to reach the milestone. With three hits and four RBIs against the Kansas City Royals on September 25, Cabrera tied Hank Aaron with his 81st career game of 3+ hits and 3+ RBI. Only Lou Gehrig (97), Al Simmons (94), and Babe Ruth (87) had more. Cabrera finished the 2021 season with a.256 batting average, 15 home runs, and 75 RBIs. At season’s end, he was tied with Sam Rice for 33rd on the all-time MLB hits list with 2,987. He now ranked 28th in career home runs (502), 18th in career doubles (597), 21st in career extra-base hits (1,116), and 18th in career total bases (5,124).
On April 23, 2022, Cabrera recorded his 3,000th career hit against Antonio Senzatela of the Colorado Rockies, an opposite-field single in the bottom of the first inning. He became the 33rd player in MLB history to join the 3,000-hit club, and the seventh player in MLB history to record 500 home runs and 3,000 hits, joining Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Albert Pujols, Eddie Murray, Rafael Palmeiro, and Alex Rodriguez. May 7, Cabrera recorded his 600th career double, becoming the third player in MLB history to record 3,000 hits, 600 doubles, and 500 home runs, following Hank Aaron and Albert Pujols. June 28, Cabrera recorded his 1,828th career RBI, moving him into the Top 20 on the all-time list. In the same game, Cabrera had two hits to move past Rickey Henderson into the Top 25 on the all-time MLB hits list (3,056).
Miguel Cabrera is a 11x All-Star, 2x MVP, 7x Silver Slugger, 4x Batting Title, 1x World Series Winner, Only Modern-day player to win a Triple Crown. His Career numbers .310 Batting Avg, 3064 hits, 505 hrs, 604 doubles, 1832 RBI, 39 stolen bases, 1214 walks. Miggy has 1 more year on his contract after this year.
My favorite Miggy Quotes
“Doesn’t matter what people say, doesn’t matter what they are going to say about you. You got tp go out there and play your game.”
“When I was coming up, I just wanted to play baseball and I’m doing what I love to do most. How can I feel pressure doing what I love to do?”
“The Triple Crown, or any of that stuff, is not my focus. My focus is on winning. I just hope people can be happy with that.”
“I want people to think of me as one of the game’s greatest players.”
I hope this helps people understand just how special these two men have been throughout their careers, and just how rare of players they have been. The fact they both have been doing it at the same time, side by side all these years has been incredible to watch.