Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder get Sports Illustrated cover

The Tigers' middle-of-the-order sluggers are featured in Michael Rosenberg's story.

By Kurt Mensching@KurtJustKurt Updated Jun 12, 2013, 12:39pm EDT

Sure, there's going to be claims of "cover jinx." (On Twitter there already has been at least one.) But we don't believe in that stuff around here (right?) so we can enjoy Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated's June 17 issue.

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Once it was really quite amazing when a Tiger made the cover -- I saved Justin Verlander in 2006 -- but now it's becoming a bit more commonplace. In March, Verlander made a regional cover. Last October, Cabrera had one solo. A year prior, Verlander was honored. This is something we could get used to -- but after the past I'm not about to take it for granted.

The "Bash Bros" story, by former Free Press columnist (and current SI senior writer) Michael Rosenberg, looks for a historic precedent for the middle of the Tigers order.

"Cabrera is the best hitter in baseball and Fielder is the game's best sidekick. Years from now, we may look back and decide Cabrera is Mickey Mantle and Fielder is Roger Maris. Or Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews. Or Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig."

That might be pushing it a wee bit. Fielder's going to have to do a little more to carry his end of the bargain. But another, more Detroit, pair come to mind:

The last pair of Tigers to grace the cover of SI was Al Kaline and Harvey Kuenn in May of 1956. #tigers twitter.com/Thompson_Tiger…
— Rick Thompson (@Thompson_Tigers) June 12, 2013

or maybe

Upon further review, here's a more recent Tigers duo on the cover of SI from September of 1968 -- Kaline and McLain. twitter.com/Thompson_Tiger…
— Rick Thompson (@Thompson_Tigers) June 12, 2013