The sports world is buzzing with news this October. NFL fans are beginning to see teams form winning streaks (Skol Vikings!) and watch as others crumble; the NBA opens its season at the end of the month; and hockey fans eagerly wait for more news regarding the NHL player lockout. Even the postseason baseball pennant race is a hot topic amongst sports fans. However, a story regarding a single baseball player deserves its time in the limelight when Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers made baseball history on Oct. 3, 2012.
The coveted Triple Crown of baseball has been accomplished only 17 times in MLB history: the first in 1922 and most recently by the Tigers’ Miguel “Miggy” Cabrera. It’s a rare occurrence in baseball, and the last time it happened was 45 years ago in 1967. Cabrera clinched the Triple Crown last week by leading the American League (AL) in batting average, runs batted in (RBIs) and home runs, earning the title as one of the best pure hitters in baseball. His name will forever be mentioned simultaneously with baseball legends Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig and Ted Williams.
Cabrera acquired a .330 batting average, 44 home runs and 139 RBIs to win the Triple Crown. The race is something that occurs every year, but rarely does a winner emerge, as there are so many great hitters in the league. In fact, Miggy was a previous winner of each category in past years, but never a Triple Crown winner. This year, Miggy beat Mike Trout of the Angels for the batting title, Josh Hamilton (an outfielder for the Rangers) in home runs and Curtis Grandeson, a Yankee, in the category of RBIs.
Miggy has been thrust into the spotlight as a baseball superstar; not even legendary hitters like Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez have accomplished it. Miggy’s expert batting skills led the Tigers to a division title, one of 10 teams with a shot at winning the playoffs, which began on Oct. 5. There’s a lot of talk regarding the American League MVP pick of this season, and some unanimously agree that a Triple Crown winner absolutely deserves to be AL MVP. Miggy definitely has statistical advantage over Trout, another predicted contender. Baseball fans will eagerly anticipate the decision regarding MVP as the postseason continues.
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