3000 hits, 500 home runs, 600 doubles, and a .300 career batting average. When Miguel Cabrera hung up the cleats for the final time, he joined an elite group with Hank Aaron and Albert Puljouis who also reached those milestones in their career similar to Cabrera. Not only did Cabrera leave an impact on the MLB along with the Detroit Tigers, but he also left a lasting effect on student-athletes at South.
Jack Danielewicz ‘26 said he has played baseball for most of his life and has looked up to Cabrera for as long as he can remember.
“When you’re a sports legend in a city like Detroit, and he’s played for the Tigers for as long as I’ve been alive, it’s pretty incredible to watch him play at such a high level for such a long time,” Danielewicz said.
Danielewicz said he was able to go to Cabrera’s last game at Comerica Park, which was a very touching moment for him.
“It was an incredible experience to be able to go to his last game, and it was great to see all of the stuff they had dedicated to him,” Danielewicz said. “I don’t think I saw a single dry eye in the stadium.”
Mackenzie Simon ‘26 said she also looks up to Cabrera as a player to base her game on when she is playing softball.
“He made me a better athlete and is an inspiration to how I want to perform every time I step onto the field,” Simon said.
Simon said she has grown up watching Cabrera play, and realizing that his career has come to an end has made her very somber.
“His retirement has come as a shock to both the baseball world and me because it means that his reign in the baseball world has come to an end,” Simon said.
JV baseball coach Tony Cimmarrusti said he thinks even higher in Cabrera than just a role model for his players.
“They don’t look at him as a mentor, they think of him as an icon,” Cimmarrusti said.
