There weren’t many dry eyes in the house Sunday afternoon at Comerica Park as Miguel Cabrera put the final touches on his Hall-of-Fame career.
While Cabrera couldn’t add to his historic 3,174 career hits, he added one final “Miggy Moment” to his career.
After going 0-for-3 with a walk in the seventh inning, Cabrera came out for a surprise appearance at first base, taking the field one last time at Comerica Park.
And it went better than you could have scripted. On the second pitch of the inning, Steven Kwan bounced one to first and Cabrera coolly fielded the ball and made the out himself, with his right hand in the air as he beat Kwan to the bag in front of a roaring crowd.
Manager A.J. Hinch then gave Cabrera the curtain call he deserved, taking him out of the game as he got a rousing standing ovation from Tigers fans.
Cabrera wiped tears from his eyes as he shook hands and hugged every teammate, coach and staff member one-by-one as he solely made his way to the dugout.
After fans began the day with a spectacular display in the stands, his teammates Akil Baddoo and Alex Lange ended it with one final shower from the Gatorade cooler as he spoke to the fans.
The Tigers beat the Guardians in what was also manager Terry Francona's final game, 5-2, giving Detroit a 78-84 record on the year, finishing the season in second place in the AL Central.