30 Most Interesting Things Every Fan Should Know About Miguel Cabrera

José Miguel Cabrera Torres, most popularly known as Miguel Cabrera and nicknamed "Miggy", currently the first baseman for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB), is considered to be one of the best pure hitters in baseball and one of the greatest players of his era. Here are some facts about the Venezuelan professional baseball player:

1. Cabrera is widely regarded as one of the best pure hitter in baseball and one of the greatest players of his era.
2. He is currently the first baseman for the Detroit Tigers with combination of high batting average, great power, good walk rate and low strikeout percentage.
3. He was born Jose Miguel Cabrera Torres on April 18, 1983, in Maracay, Venezuela, to Miguel, a welder and Gregoria Cabrera. He has a sister Carla Ruth.
4. His parents were excellent baseball players in their daysand source of his strength to succeed as baseball player. He was coached by his uncles Jose Torres and David Torres, former St. Louis Cardinal Player in formative years. His mother was a Venezuela softball player.
5. He was brought up in La Padrera neighborhood, one of the poorest sections of Maracay, in a two bedroom house.
6. He along with his sister spent major part of their childhood playing with stick as bat and wad of paper as a baseball. At the age of 14 he decided to pursue baseball as profession and signed-up with ‘Tigres de Aragua’ for the Venezuelan winter league.
7. He is one of the sought after baseball prospects in South America. Although he was pursued by many scouts, he was signed-up by Florida Marlins for $ 1.8 millionin 1999.
8. He started his career for Florida’s team in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2000 as a shortstop. In his 57 games he had batting average of .260 with 10 doubles, two triple and two home runs,
9. Cabrera made his grade to Class A and represented Utica Blue Sox in the New York- Penn League. He had a batting .250 with 6RBIs in the final eight games.
10. He went through Marlins system, playing for ‘Kane County Cougars’ participating in Midwest League and later for Jupiter Hammerheads in the Florida State League. He was gradually being groomed from Low Class-A to High Class-A ball and earned a place in the Future Game.
11. He started the 2003 season playing for Double-A Carolina Mudcats, before making his debut for the Florida Marlins in the Major League on June 20, 2003.
12. At 20 years Cabrera was second youngest Marlins player to make his debut and third player since 1900, to hit a walk-off home run in his first major league game.
13. As cleanup batter, in his first season he batted .268, with 12 home runs, 62 RBIs, 39 runs, 21 doubles and three triples to take Marlins, to 2003 World Series Championship.
14. Cabrera earned his first All-Star call-up as reserve in 2004 season. He played the entire season in the outfield with 13 assists out of 284 total fielding chances. He also had the ignominy of being tied for most number of error, nine, committed in the outfield.
15. In 2005, he was voted to his second consecutive All-Star Game and won his ‘Silver Slugger Award’for outfield. He also had 33 home runs in consecutive seasons to become the youngest player in the Major Baseball League history to do so.
16. During the 2006 season he entered into an altercation with his teammate Scott Olsen, resulting out of misfield by Cabrera. Both players were seen trying to kick and jab at each other. He made it to his third All-Star team and was third in the Home Run Derby.
17. In February 2007 he won his arbitration hearing, when he was awarded $ 7.4 million salary instead of team’s offer of $ 6.7 million, for a year. In September that season he became the third youngest after Mel Ott and Ted Williams to accumulate 500 RBIs.
18. On March 22, 2008, after he was traded, he signed an eight year contract for $152.3 million with Detroit Tigers, the fourth largest deal then. He finished the season with career high 37 home runs to lead the American League, to become the youngest home run champion.
19. On February 24, 2009 he was named in the national squad for the 2009 World Baseball Classic, where Venezuela was placed third.
20. On September 26, 2010, Cabrera sprained his ankle in a game against Cleveland Indians and missed reminder of the season. He had batting average of .328, with career high 38 home runs and 89 walks for the season.
21. In the 2011 season he was the leader in the on-base percentage with .448 and also led the double with 48.He won the season American League batting title with batting average of .344.
22. On August 15, 2012, he became the first player in the Tigers history to hit 30 home runs in five consecutive seasons and also his eighth in nine seasons.
23. Cabrera became the first batter to win Triple Crown since 1967 in 2012, with batting average of .330, 44 home run and 139 RBIs, which led all of Major Baseball League.He was named ‘AL’s Most Valuable Player’ receiving 22 of the 28 first place votes with 362 points from panel of Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
24. He was twice voted as top hitter in 2012 and 2013 and was awarded with ‘Hank Aaron Award.’ The awardee is selected by baseball fans and members of the media. His stats read as 205 hits, 44 home runs and 139 RBIs for 2012 and 193 hits, 44HR and 137 RBIs in 2013.
25. Cabrera won the oldest and most prestigious award ‘Sporting News Player of the Year Award,’ given to the single player in MLB, who had most outstanding season. He won it in 2012 and 2013, to become one of the four players to have won it in consecutive years.
26. He has won the ‘Player of the Month Award’ six times in his career to become fifth highest in all-time list of awardee. The player is selected by poll conducted by baseball writers.
27. In 2016 he won his seventh ‘AL Silver Slugger Award’ and third for the first base. In the season he also made it to All-Star Team, his 11th of the career.
28. He is married to Rosangelin 2002 and they have two daughters and one son. The Cabrera have started the ‘The Miguel Cabrera Foundation’ which help other charities.
29. On January 21, 2010, it was reported that he spent three months in an alcohol abuse treatment center to help him recover from addiction. In 2009 police were called in, after he had an altercation with his wife, after night of drinking.
30. On August 24, 2017 Cabrera was suspended for seven games along with many others following a brawl during a game between New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers. He is expected to appeal against suspension.
31. Miguel Cabrera Net Worth: $110 Million