Thank you Tito! Sadly, his final game as a Cleveland skipper ended in a loss, but he will leave a winner. His final record heading as Guardians manager is 921 victories to 757 defeats. Bo Naylor struck out swinging to end the game.
Josh Naylor ends 2023 as the top hitter with the Guardians with an average of .308 and two players tied with the best WAR Jose Ramirez and Andres Gimenez at 5.2.
Tanner Bibee pitched the most innings in 2023 with 142 innings pitched in 2023, he also has the best ERA on the team at 2.98.
In the eighth inning, in the final play of his illustrious career, Miguel Cabrera made a remarkable backhanded stop, then gracefully stepped on first base with a smile. The Detroit Tigers emerged victorious with a 5-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians on a Sunday filled with emotions.
This momentous game also marked the retirement of Terry Francona, Cleveland’s manager, who had previously guided Boston to a pair of World Series championships.
Francona graciously acknowledged that this day belonged to Cabrera, and indeed, it did.
Cabrera, the only player to achieve the Triple Crown in over half a century, went 0 for 3 at the plate but managed to draw a walk in his final plate appearance. He made his season debut at first base, standing alone for a brief moment while players from both teams paid their respects to one of the game’s all-time greats.
In a pivotal moment, Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan hit a sharp grounder that Cabrera effortlessly stopped, resulting in an unassisted out. This triggered another outpouring of cheers from the crowd and a rush of emotions for the legendary player.
Cabrera placed his hand over his heart and looked up at the azure sky. His children, Isabella, Brisel, and Christopher, joined him on the field along with Tigers manager A.J. Hinch to embrace their father. After the entire team, including pitchers from the bullpen, shared hugs with him, Cabrera wiped away tears from his eyes with his right arm.
Before the game, Cabrera’s children had the honor of throwing ceremonial first pitches to their father, and his son introduced the 12-time All-Star as he strode to the batter’s box for the first time.
The sold-out crowd, including thousands with standing-room-only tickets, stood and cheered every time Cabrera stepped up to the plate. Even though he struck out in his first two at-bats and hit a weak popup in his third, the 41,425 fans continued to show their appreciation for one of Detroit’s most beloved sports figures.
Miguel Cabrera’s career has been nothing short of remarkable. He achieved Major League Baseball’s Triple Crown in 2012, becoming the first player to do so since 1967. During this remarkable run, he was named AL MVP for two consecutive years, winning three straight batting titles and leading his team to four consecutive division titles.
Last year, he joined the exclusive club of players with 3,000 hits, 500 home runs, and 600 doubles, sharing this distinction with Hank Aaron and Albert Pujols.
Miguel Cabrera’s impact transcends statistics. Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. aptly described him as “a Venezuelan baseball god.”
In recent years, the 40-year-old Cabrera faced challenges, struggling to maintain his health and falling short of the incredible numbers he achieved in his prime.
The Tigers delighted the crowd early in the game, scoring one run in each of the first three innings through the efforts of Kerry Carpenter, Javier Baez, and Andy Ibanez. Cleveland managed to cut the deficit to 3-1 in the fourth inning with Brayan Rocchi’s groundout and narrowed it to a two-run margin with Tyler Freeman’s solo home run in the fifth. However, Matt Vierling’s two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning restored Detroit’s three-run lead.
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