by MATT GORDON Editor-in-chief
Detroit Tiger’s first baseman Miguel Cabrera is the new king of baseball. The MVP candidate has done what no player has done since 1967 – lead the American League in batting average, runs batted in, and home runs at the end of the season, otherwise known as the Triple Crown.
The reluctant superstar led the American League with a .330 batting average, 44 homers, and 139 RBIs, leading Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim outfielder Mike Trout by .004 batting average points and Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton by one home run and 11 RBIs. Other than leading the league in these categories, Cabrera carried his team on his back, leading them to the Central Division title.
During the last game of the season, Cabrera went 0 for 2, but left the game early to rest for the postseason and celebrate his historic accomplishment. “It was like, everybody said to me it was unbelievable,” said Cabrera, who was joined in the clubhouse by Prince Fielder, Justin Verlander and a few other teammates. “They were excited to see this, enjoy this, be a part of something big, and winning, I feel better.”
The last man to win the triple crown was Carl Yastrzemski with the Boston Red Sox, who said after Cabrera won, “I am glad that he accomplished this while leading his team to the American League Central title.” Yastrzemski won the crown with .326 batting average, 44 home runs, and 121 RBIs.
Cabrera’s next challenge is to lead his team through the playoffs, where they face the red hot Oakland Athletics in the American League Division Series, the first round of the playoffs. “We know we’ve got a great ballclub. We know what we have in the clubhouse,” Cabrera said. “We know we’re going to face a very hot team like Oakland. They play unbelievable baseball right now.”
The stakes are high for Cabrera and his team as they look to advance to the World Series for the first time since 2006.