Cabrera gets Triple Crown
BY DAVE SKRETTA Associated Press
Thursday, October 04, 2012
10/04/12 at 3:42 AM
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Miguel Cabrera became the first player in 45 years to achieve the Triple Crown in the AL Central-champion Detroit Tigers' 1-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.
Cabrera went 0 for 2 with a strikeout, then left in the fourth inning of the regular-season finale. He received a standing ovation from the opposing fans.
He finished with an American League-leading .330 average, 44 homers and 139 RBIs, becoming just the 15th player to achieve the milestone and the first since Boston's Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.
Max Scherzer pitched four innings for Detroit to test his sore right shoulder ahead of the playoffs, which the Tigers will open Saturday at home against Oakland. The bullpen took over from there, with Luis Marte (1-0) picking up the win and Luke Putkonen his first career save.
Austin Jackson drove in the only run off Royals starter Luis Mendoza (8-10).
The outcome of the game was secondary to Cabrera's historic accomplishment.
Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig offered his congratulations, calling the Triple Crown "a remarkable achievement that places him amongst an elite few in all of baseball history."
"Miguel has long been one of the most accomplished hitters in the game," Selig said, "and this recognition is one that he will be able to cherish for the rest of his career."
The crowd at Kauffman Stadium gave Cabrera a standing ovation before he flied out in the first inning. He struck out in the fourth inning but remained in the game, allowing Tigers manager Jim Leyland to remove him with two outs to another standing ovation.
Cabrera high-fived his teammates as he descended into the Detroit dugout, and then sheepishly walked to the top step and waved his helmet, almost as if he'd been playing at home.
Cabrera's milestone wasn't official until the Yankees pinch hit for Curtis Granderson in their game against the Boston Red Sox. Granderson had homered twice to reach 43 for the year, tied with the Rangers' Josh Hamilton and one shy of Cabrera.
Cabrera finished four points better than the Angles' Mike Trout, his biggest competition for MVP, to win his second straight batting title. Cabrera was the runaway leader with 139 RBIs.
Elite Club
A look at MLB's triple crown winners.
American League
|
Yr.: Player, Team | HRs | RBIs | Avg. |
|
2012: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit | 44 | 139 | .330 |
|
1967: Carl Yastrzemski, Boston | 44 | 121 | .326 |
|
1966: Frank Robinson, Baltimore | 49 | 122 | .316 |
|
1956: Mickey Mantle, New York | 52 | 130 | .353 |
|
1947: Ted Williams, Boston | 32 | 114 | .343 |
|
1942: Ted Williams, Boston | 36 | 137 | .356 |
|
1934: Lou Gehrig, New York | 49 | 165 | .363 |
|
1933: Jimmie Foxx, Philadelphia | 48 | 163 | .356 |
|
1909: Ty Cobb, Detroit* | 9 | 115 | .377 |
|
1901: Nap Lajoie, Philadelphia* | 14 | 125 | .422 |
National League
|
Yr.: Player, Team | HRs | RBIs | Avg. |
|
1937: Joe Medwick, St. Louis | 31 | 154 | .374 |
|
1933: Chuck Klein, Philadelphia | 28 | 120 | .368 |
|
1925: Rogers Hornsby, St. Louis | 39 | 143 | .403 |
|
1922: Rogers Hornsby, St. Louis | 42 | 152 | .401 |
|
1912: Heinie Zimmerman, Chicago* | 14 | 103 | .372 |
|
1894: Hugh Duffy, Boston* | 18 | 145 | .438 |
|
1878: Paul Hines, Providence* | 4 | 50 | .358 |
* An RBI was not an official statistic before 1920
Source: MLB.com
Associated Images:
Detroit's Miguel Cabrera became the first player Wednesday to win baseball's Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. ORLIN WAGNER/Associated Press
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