Tigers bring out Detroit sports legends for first pitch to honor Miguel Cabrera

Miguel Cabrera has been playing baseball since childhood, with his past 21 years coming in Major League Baseball.

The 39-year-old, who turns 40 on April 18, has experienced 20 Opening Days, including 16 home openers at Comerica Park in Detroit. The Detroit Tigers honored Cabrera, a future Hall of Famer and franchise icon, during Thursday's pregame introductions before the final home opener of his playing career.

The fans roared when his name was announced as part of the starting lineup, then again when he was called onto the field to throw a first pitch alongside three other Detroit sports icons: Nicklas Lidström (Red Wings), Calvin Johnson (Lions) and Ben Wallace (Pistons).

"Every Opening Day is different," Cabrera said Thursday morning. "This is going to be my last Opening Day as a baseball player. It's going to be different. There are going to be a lot of emotions. But I got to say thank you. Not too many people get a chance to play 20 years on Opening Day. I'm grateful. Thank you."

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In Detroit, the Tigers' home opener is like an official holiday, with the busy traffic downtown, tailgating and tons of energy. Some adults take off work, and some children skip school.

It's an important day.

"Happy Opening Day," Cabrera said, smiling.

The Tigers finished 66-96 last season for fourth place in the American League Central and haven't reached the postseason since 2014. Attendance throughout the regular season has dropped across the past half-decade because of the poor on-field performance, but for the home opener, the ballpark is always packed.

Cabrera sent a message to the fans.

"Thank you to the fans," Cabrera said. "They've always supported us every year. It doesn't matter if we're up, down. It's been hard the couple years, and they always support us. We want to say thank you. If fans aren't coming to the stadium, it's going to be boring for baseball. Hopefully, we can do more for the fans. Hopefully, we can win more for the fans."

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This season, Cabrera — a member of three exclusive clubs: 3,000 hits, 500 home runs and 600 doubles — is batting .143 (2-for-14) with one walk and three strikeouts in four games. He hit sixth in the lineup as the designated hitter Thursday against the Boston Red Sox.

He used to hit third or fourth in the batting order.

Those days are over.

"You got to understand your role," Cabrera said. "I understand my role here with the team. I understand what the manager and front office is going to do here. They want to win more, and whenever they want to use me, I want to win. You got to understand your role, and that's it."

Red Sox manager Alex Cora discussed Cabrera's greatness leading up to Thursday's matchup. Cabrera, a 12-time All-Star and two-time AL MVP, entered the three-game series with 3,090 career hits, 507 home runs, 608 doubles and a .308 batting average.

"He's just a pure hitter, up there with (Albert) Pujols," Cora said. "He can hit for average, hit for power, and that uncanny ability for driving in runs, I can name a few: Pujols, Juan González, Manny (Ramírez), David (Ortiz) and Miguel. When there's a man on third and less than two outs, they make adjustments on their swing and drive them in.

"A few years ago, somebody asked me about Miggy as far as a pure hitter and all that. It's like Tony Gwynn with power. Still, at his age, he can still hit the ball the other way whenever he feels like it and get his hits. He plays with joy, and it's been a pleasure to see him play."

The Tigers were swept in three games by the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field to open the 2023 season, and won two of three games against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.

Now, they're back home in front of their fans. And everyone celebrated another last for Cabrera.

"I appreciate this moment," Cabrera said. "Not too many guys in baseball get a chance to say goodbye. I got the chance to say, 'It's going to be my last year.' I want to enjoy the last ride. I'm happy in this moment. I'm not sad. I'm happy because it's been a good 21 years in the big leagues. I never take anything for granted, so I'm going to enjoy this year, and hopefully, when they give me a chance to play, I can do my job."

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tigers bring out Detroit legends for 1st pitch to honor Miguel Cabrera