Detroit Tigers: Remembering Miguel Cabrera’s Other Home Runs

Detroit Tigers 1B/DH Miguel Cabrera finally reached arguably the most important milestone of his decorated career, notching his 500th home run against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 22nd. This is a personal remembrance of a few of the other 499 Miggy Blasts.

I have to be honest, of all of the 362 baseballs Miguel Cabrera has sent over a fence in his time with the Detroit Tigers, the 500th of his storied career means little to me personally. On a Sunday in August for a third-place club, Miggy lofted a Steven Matz breaking ball over the right-center field wall at Rogers Centre in Toronto. It’s an incredible milestone, to be sure, and when Cabrera tallies his 3000th hit, he will enter a club occupied only by Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Raphael Palmeiro, Eddie Murray, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron.

Then again, maybe 500 is important to me because it caused me to reflect on the other 499 home runs Miguel has blasted in his 19 seasons in the major leagues. Miggy’s 500th isn’t just that singular moment. Rather, it’s the result of a long and, lately, arduous journey that I have been fortunate enough to witness up close.

We all know the quote from Moneyball: “How can you not be romantic about baseball?” And yet, it’s a question that always rings true with me. As I look back at the home runs that got Miguel Cabrera to this milestone, it’s impossible to not be romantic about the moments in my life that coincided with the home runs in his. These are 5 of Miguel Cabrera’s other home runs.