The Venezuelan of the Detroit Tigers Miguel Cabrera will play his 20th season in the MLB in 2022 .
In his time in the Major Leagues, Cabrera seems to have won it all: he was a World Series champion in his first year (2003, with the Marlins), a two-time AL MVP (2012 and 2013) and was the first triple crowned. in more than 50 years.
There is no lack of trophies in Cabrera’s showcases , that’s for sure. But if you wonder if you missed something, you would be surprised by the answer. For example, the star could not be Rookie of the Year (he was fifth in the National League vote in 2003), overshadowed by his teammate Dontrelle Willis.
Nor has he won the Roberto Clemente Award, for which he is nominated this year by the Detroit Tigers. However, the great accolade missing from Cabrera’s list is the Golden Glove. This has an explanation.
The Venezuelan never stood out for having an above-average defense. Signed as shortstop, he never played this position in the majors.
Then recurring injuries forced him to establish himself at first base, where he hasn’t started since 2017. Since then his physical problems have made him spend most of his time as a designated hitter.
In 2021 he arrived in good physical condition in the spring, determined to play on the first cushion and with a manager, AJ Hinch, willing to give him that opportunity.
With the agility he showed in the first matches, there were those who dreamed of seeing him win his first Golden Glove, but reality again prevailed and it was soon no longer an option to have him full-time on the field. This will be the trend in his last years of action in the majors, so the dream of winning this award may be the only pending with which Cabrera ends his career.