MINNEAPOLIS — As the Detroit Tigers scurried into the clubhouse after Monday’s 8-7 loss to the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park, one player remained in the dugout. He perched himself on the first step of the stairs and rested his arm on the railing.
Miguel Cabrera stared at the White Sox players and coaches leaving the field.
Just minutes earlier, a ninth-inning scrum between the American League Central Division foes caused benches and dugouts to clear for a standoff behind second base. Tigers reliever Alex Lange drilled White Sox slugger Jose Abreu in the elbow with an 0-2 fastball. White Sox manager Tony La Russa deemed the throw intentional, so he started barking at Lange. Meanwhile, Tigers manager AJ Hinch defended his rookie pitcher.
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One pitch later, Abreu slid recklessly into second base as shortstop Niko Goodrum applied the tag on a throw from catcher Eric Haase. The “old-school” retaliation from Abreu, as Hinch described it, brought everyone onto the field.
That’s why Cabrera couldn’t take his eyes off the White Sox, a team he gets to face for a three-game series from Friday-Sunday at Guaranteed Rate Field to wrap up his 19th MLB season. The 38-year-old’s irritation is a reminder that he remains focused as the Tigers reignite rivalries and look to shake up the AL Central in 2022.
“Hopefully we can have more moments like this,” Cabrera said Friday, discussing the 24,877 fans at Comerica Park for “Miggy Celebration Day” to honor his historic 500-homer milestone. “Hopefully we can win more games, feel great for next year and be a team competing in the playoffs.”
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When Cabrera takes the field for 2022 Opening Day, he will receive a $2 million raise — pushing his salary to $32 million — for the final two years of his contract. (He previously said he plans to retire after the 2023 season.)
Cabrera’s solid finish in 2021 (hitting .342 in September) guarantees him a spot in Hinch’s starting lineup, albeit probably more often as a designated hitter than a first baseman.
“There’s a prep every day for him,” Hinch said, “and it’s a couple hours getting himself ready to play, especially to play first base. That’s why the day game at first base is not going to happen probably for the remainder of his career.”
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Cabrera has played 127 games this season (with five remaining against the Minnesota Twins and White Sox) and seemed relatively healthy. A left biceps strain sent him to the injured list April 11, but he returned April 25.
Hinch has used the future Hall of Famer 43 times as a first baseman and 81 times as a designated hitter. (Cabrera recently experienced back tightness, so it’s unclear if he will play first base again in 2021.)
When playing first base, Cabrera boasts a .301 batting average (46-for-153) with six doubles, seven home runs, 36 RBIs, 20 walks and 31 strikeouts. As a designated hitter, he is hitting .239 (73-for-305) with nine doubles, eight homers, 37 RBIs, 20 walks and 82 strikeouts.
“I think that’s why they play me more at first,” Cabrera said. “I enjoy when I play first.”
Hinch added: “I’ve played him enough at first base, probably more than people would have imagined. He’ll have a couple games off this (six-game) road trip. Physically, he’s been in a good place, which puts him in a good place mentally. He’s had to grind. It’s not been an easy season for him.”
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Indeed, the 2021 season hasn’t been a breeze for Cabrera, who isn’t the same player he was when he earned back-to-back AL MVP awards in 2012 and 2013 and seven consecutive All-Star Game nominations from 2010-16.
This year, he hit .098 through 17 games with six walks and 22 strikeouts. By the end of May, he was hitting .184 with four home runs across 37 games. It wasn’t until June that Cabrera found his groove.
Cabrera commands a .296 batting average and 11 home runs in 87 games since the beginning of June. He is hitting .263 with 15 home runs, 75 RBIs, 40 walks and 113 strikeouts over 127 games, along with a .717 on-base plus slugging percentage.
“I knew I was going to start hitting, but it’s hard,” Cabrera said. “At my age, it was a little different than in the past. … My mind has to be strong to play this game. It doesn’t bother me when people talk, ‘You can’t do this no more.’ I always feel like I can do it every time I go to the plate.”
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Cabrera became the 28th player in MLB history to reach 500 home runs, crushing the anticipated homer Aug. 22 at Rogers Centre in Toronto.
Another milestone now awaits: Cabrera is 13 hits away from becoming the 33rd player to No. 3,000.
“There’s no way I could walk in this city if I rested him (this season) and he was right close,” Hinch said. “It would be nearly impossible to sit him if he was closing in a little bit closer. If he goes 9-for-9 again like he did, maybe the back of the week has to change. Certainly would be very difficult for him to get to that number now.”
The Tigers open the 2022 schedule with seven consecutive road games: four against the Seattle Mariners and three against the Oakland Athletics. They don’t return to Detroit for their home opener at Comerica Park until April 8 against the White Sox.
“I’m not sitting him for the first road trip,” Hinch said. “Breaking news.”
Just six players have reached both 500 homers and 3,000 hits: Albert Pujols, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Rafael Palmeiro and Alex Rodriguez. Cabrera is also three doubles from becoming the 18th player to No. 600 in that category.
Only two players — Pujols and Aaron — have at least 500 home runs, 3,000 hits and 600 doubles.
“The production has been really nice,” Hinch said. “The numbers that are changing on the board are really cool. We acknowledge it all the time. I’m proud of him. I think he’s been in a good place mentally, which is important.”
Evan Petzold is a sports reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.