3,000

Incredible. 

I wish I had been more appreciative earlier. I will likely never see another player like Miguel Cabrera. There may never be a player like him ever again. It's hard to believe that all too soon, we won't get to see him at the plate anymore. I can't imagine the Tigers without him. But that is still in the future. For now, we get to celebrate greatness.

Part of what makes him so great is his humility. I'm sure it is special to him to be hitting these huge milestones and getting his name in amongst the game's greatest players but the team is so much more important to him. If he gets all the records and milestones and the team loses, Miggy doesn't really enjoy the stuff that just about him. He wants to win. He wants his hits and home runs to help the team win and have a good season. It's not just about him. 

When the fans were all booing his intentional walk on the Thursday before he got #3,000 (April 21st, 2022), Miggy tried to calm them down and make them understand that the important thing was that we were winning. He's so classy and humble. Too many players, in baseball and other sports, when they are great, they know it and they get arrogant and rude. Miggy's attitude is part of what makes him so great and so special.

 
I can't believe how lucky I am to have gotten to experience so much of this great man's career. I lived through his Triple Crown season. (How was that already 10 years ago?!) I got to "see" him get 500 home runs and 3,000 hits and we'll soon see 600 doubles. It's something special and to live through it is a huge blessing and privilege. And he's on MY team!!! My hometown. I got to grow up watching Miguel Cabrera play baseball. I've taken it for granted for too long but not any more. I enjoy each and every game. Each and every moment. This has been one heck of a career and it's not over yet. He's special, and we all know it. 

Miggy, we love you 3,000 :)

Living Legend

Watch the 3,000th hit 

Miggy's career video 

Everything you need to know about Miggy's 3,000 hit

 

Photos taken by me in August 2016.

Will There Be Baseball in 2022?

 

I'm not an insider on baseball. I don't know all the "whys" behind the issues right now, following the end of the Collective Bargaining Agreement after the 2021 season. But as a fan and an outsider, there are some things that bother me about what is going on. 

 

To start with, I'm honestly shocked that players are willing to risk another season of not playing after just having most of 2020 cancelled. I would think they would want to avoid that scenario at all costs, but apparently there is some amount of money that is worth it (potentially). And that is my main point.

Baseball players - and athletes in general - make more money than almost anyone else in America. They lowest paid player in the MLB makes more than most people at almost $600,000. That's a lot of money for six months of work.

Now don't get me wrong, baseball is a lot of work. There is a ton of effort that each and every player puts in everyday and all year round to play this game. But it is also just a game. They are entertainers. They are living their dream, getting to play a game they love every day and get paid a ton of money for it. 

 

All that, to me, makes what is going on hard to stomach. You want more money? Really? I know there is more going on than just that, but it is an element. And with what our beloved commissioner has done with luxury tax penalties, it's just not possible for salaries to continue to go up. Teams cannot afford it. I've been saying for years that salaries cannot rise indefinitely. Economics forbids it. They will eventually plateau at the very least, if not start coming down a little. 

I just don't understand why each time the CBA expires it has to be this huge deal. Why can't you just reaffirm the last one, or make some minor tweaks, and then go on your merry way? This side of baseball is ugly and it makes me really sad because what I see is greed. Maybe others see it differently. Maybe it is necessary and good, but the appearance is not. 

Photo by Savannah Rohleder on Unsplash