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2012. The year the Detroit Tigers went to the World Series. Three Tigers were selected as All-Stars: Prince Fielder, Miguel Cabrera, and Justin Verlander. The team would finish the year with an 88-74 record. It was a good year.
With all the excitement surrounding the 2017 All-Star game, and a Home Run Derby that boasts some of the best sluggers in the game today, we wanted to take a moment to remember the last time a Tigers’ player won the Derby.
Prince Fielder mashed in 28 home runs in the 2012 Derby, a number that ties him for ninth place all-time alongside Yoenis Cespedes. It was Fielder’s second time winning the Derby, his first coming in 2009 with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Of course, the 61 home runs driven in by Giancarlo Stanton last year make 28 seem pretty light, but it’s still an impressive feat nonetheless. With the likes of Stanton, Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Migel Sano competing for the crown this year, there will be a lot of long balls hit in Miami on Monday night.
Let’s take a moment to look back at the 2012 Derby, and Prince Fielder’s victory.
The memory is a little bittersweet now that Fielder has retired from baseball, but it’s still nice to recollect the Tigers success and remember it wasn’t so long ago the team had an All-Star slugger win the title.