Crowds like this used to be common at Comerica Park. Soon, they will be again. On the first sun-splashed Saturday of the spring, the fans came in droves to watch Miguel Cabrera make history. And make history he did.
Cabrera was going to get his 3,000th hit sooner or later. With time running out in the Tigers' homestand, he wanted badly to get it in Detroit. He had several chances to hit his 500th homer here last season, but came up empty. This time, Cabrera wanted to give the fans their moment.
The moment came in the first inning on Saturday when he shot a single into right field, raising his arm in the air almost as soon as the ball left the bat. He was elated when he reached first base. He was also relieved.
"I was really nervous because I wanted to get 3,000 here in Detroit because of what happened last year with 500," Cabrera said. "So this was special for me. I wanted to do it here in front of my fans, in my hometown of Detroit. I'm happy I hit it here. I'm happy people from Detroit saw it."
37,566 people saw it live, the Tigers' biggest non-Opening Day crowd since July 15, 2017 -- a Saturday night where Cabrera went 3-4 with a homer in a blowout of the Blue Jays. Detroit ranked 16th in the majors in attendance that season, before plummeting over the next few years as the roster was razed and rebuilt. Cabrera is the only player that remains from the Tigers' last run of contention.
Those were the glory years, for Cabrera and his team. He was ripping off MVP awards and the Tigers were ripping off division titles, four in a row from 2011-14. Detroit ranked in the top 10 in attendance from 2012-15, routinely drawing over 35,000 fans a night. The only time the crowds were bigger at Comerica Park was Cabrera's first season in Detroit, when the Tigers drew 39,500 fans per game. The Big Man has that effect.
The crowd on Saturday didn't just witness history. It enjoyed a 13-0 Tigers' win. It rejoiced when Cabrera got his hit. It also roared when rookie Spencer Torkelson drilled a three-run homer in the first. It cheered each one of Tarik Skubal's six strikeouts. The park was alive from the first pitch to the last, the way it used to be, the way it can be again.
"It brings me a lot of memories," Cabrera said. "When I came here to Detroit I remember we always had 35,000, 40,000 people every night. So to see the fans come back to the stadium like that, it was very emotional. I know what the fans mean to our games and to our team. They support us a lot, so I was really happy to see all the fans here today."
They'll keep coming if the Tigers keep winning, and that's at least a possibility for the first time in several years. With a healthy rotation and Javier Baez back in the lineup -- he could return as soon as Sunday -- the Tigers have a chance to hang around in a division that might be up for grabs. The White Sox are banged up. The Indians are in first at 7-7. Cabrera and the Tigers haven't been to the playoffs in eight years. They might be back in the race this summer.
"He's seen this place at its height and he's seen this place at its lowest point," said A.J. Hinch. "And he wants to be a part of something great again. He's not naïve. He knows the time is limited (for him) moving forward. He also knows that we have a much better team today than we've had in previous years with him. He wants to be on a winning team. He's tired of losing teams, he's tired of being at the bottom of the AL Central. He wants everybody to experience Detroit the way he remembers it at its peak. And that's very important when your biggest, baddest dude with the most credibility in the building says that."
The Tigers sunk below 20,000 fans per game in 2019 (the last pre-pandemic season), the low-water mark for a stadium that opened in 2000. That was the year they lost 114 games, a near-low-water mark for a franchise that was founded in 1901. The ballpark was often empty and quiet. The nights were long and lonely.
On Saturday, the ballpark was full. (Just about). So was Cabrera's heart, so much of which he's given to Detroit. These fans love him back. They came home to watch him make history, and make history he did. Together, they turned back time. Miggy went 2-4. The crowd roared. The Tigers won. The sun shined on Detroit as it sets on Cabrera's career, which isn't over yet.
