By Scott Caslow

Miguel Cabrera has hit for the Triple Crown.  This feat is only awarded to a baseball player if they lead their respective league in Batting Average, Home Runs, and RBI.  Cabrera plays for the Detroit Tigers.

The accomplishment was sealed against the Royals in Kansas city, where Cabrera received a standing ovation from the crowd, as seen above.  Cabrera hit 44 home runs this year, one more than both Josh Hamilton and Curtis Granderson.  His .330 batting average put him ahead of Mike Trout for the best in the American League, and his 139 RBI lifted him above Hamilton yet again.  The last person to achieve the Triple Crown was Carl Yastrzemski, who did it 45 years ago.

According to ESPN, Cabrera was ecstatic following his final game, saying “Right now I feel most grateful.  It’s an unbelievable feeling.”  Logan Steffens, an avid baseball player and fan said about Cabrera’s accomplishment, “It’s pretty crazy.  It hasn’t been done since Yastrzemski, and I don’t know if it’ll ever happen again.”

Miguel Cabrera started off his major league career in 2003, when he was called up for the Florida Marlins after 3 seasons in the minor league.  The Marlins were impressed with Cabrera’s physical tools and batting prowess, as well as his fielding ability.  He became a regular in their lineup, and was part of their World Series Victory over the New York Yankees that very year.

Although Cabrera’s feat is respected at all levels of baseball, he is not guaranteed this year’s MVP award.  He is considered by many professional analysts as the second-best player behind Mike Trout, the Angel’s rookie who has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated.  Trout was ahead of Cabrera in stolen bases, runs, and fielding percentage, all while remaining close behind in other major categories.