On a cool 66º degree afternoon in Detroit, thousands of fans in attendance at Comerica Park hoped to catch a glimpse, to live in history, as Tigers legend Miguel Cabrera recorded his 3,000th career hit.
Unfortunately for them, they did not get to see such a historic occasion.
After Cabrera went 0-3, in the eighth inning against the New York Yankees, he stepped up to the plate for the fourth time. Fans stood on their feet, phones recording in hand, but what they got was not a Miggy hit. Rather, Yankees manager Aaron Boone opted to intentionally walk Cabrera, ending his day and the chances of him getting his 3,000th hit for the day.
With runners on second and third, the two-time All-Star was intentionally walked to load the bases, a move that would allow lefty pitcher Lucas Luetge to pitch against lefty hitter Austin Meadows — who has had the Yankees’ number over the past few seasons, hitting the most home runs against them within that time span. It was a strategic move that sought to benefit the team’s winning chances, not the fans’ feelings or the promotion of the game itself.
Miguel Cabrera gets intentionally walked with 2999 hits pic.twitter.com/cfWDMArDed
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) April 21, 2022
lol
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 21, 2022
When Cabrera stepped up to the plate, cheers rang through the stadium. When he was walked, the cheers immediately turned to boos and “Yankees Suck!” chants. The fans continued to voice their displeasure even after the Tigers scored, and Miggy attempted to calm the fans down with a “We’re winning! Look at the scoreboard!” attitude.
“My on-base percentage went up!” Cabrera laughed after the game. “And we scored two runs. That’s the beauty of baseball. I would rather go 0-for-3 and see my team win.”
Statistics imply that the intentional walking of Miggy was the correct decision. And it would have been, if it worked. Ironically, it completely backfired on Boone and the Yankees, as Meadows would get a base hit, scoring two runs and making it a 3-0 ballgame. With the Yankees failing to score, the Tigers would go on to win the game by that score.
Lucas Luetge says he fully assumed he'd be intentionally walking Miguel Cabrera before Aaron Boone even made the call
"We're trying to win a game. As great as it is to see 3,000, we're not concerned with that as much as they are." pic.twitter.com/ivymmn1kFa
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 21, 2022
“[Boone’s] obligation is to his own team and their chances of winning,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said. “He had the matchup behind Miggy that he wanted. So you could see it coming. I know our fans responded accordingly, but I totally get it.”
Cabrera will get another chance to record his 3,000th hit at home, as they play a three-game series in Detroit against the Colorado Rockies. If accomplished, Miggy would become only the 33rd player in baseball history to join the ‘3,000 hit club’, a truly historic feat.
What do you think of the Yankees denying Miguel Cabrera the opportunity to get his 3,000th hit? Let us know, by either leaving a reaction below or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
