Bless You Boys - Miguel Cabrera wins the Triple CrownA detailed list of nope about the Detroit Tigershttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47585/default.png2012-10-04T00:18:11-04:00http://www.blessyouboys.com/rss/stream/32053452012-10-04T00:18:11-04:002012-10-04T00:18:11-04:00Triple Crown the accomplishment of a lifetime
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<figcaption>Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE - Presswire</figcaption>
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<p>Miguel Cabrera won the Triple Crown. It's hard to put into words what that means. </p> <p>A baseball season gives an excellent example of the relativity of time. A season is 162 games. Some seem to fly by. Others seem to drag. Weeks fall off the calendar and you're not even sure what happened during them. Then you get a game that feels like it will never end, with moment after excruciating moment. Teams separate themselves from the pack, fall back, separate themselves again. You start to picture it like a stop-motion montage. </p>
<p>Yet you have to wait for the final weeks, the final games, the final innings, before it all comes together. The American League playoff picture was a complete mess, for example, then suddenly tied itself a bow at the end. And that wasn't nothin' next to the final day of the 2011 regular season. </p>
<p>Then there's <span>Miguel Cabrera's</span> Triple Crown season.</p>
<p>A Triple Crown is so rare that it has only been done by 15 ballplayers in the entire history of the game. Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Jimmie Foxx. ... When talk of Cabrera possibly winning a Triple Crown began to pop up a few months ago, it was easy to dismiss. <i>Triple Crown? Yeah, right. That'll never happen.</i> It hasn't happened before in my lifetime. It happened more than a decade before I was born. Few players have even come close. </p>
<p>You win a Triple Crown all at once, but you earn it throughout the year. Cabrera started hot, then got hotter. September and the few games of October marked Cabrera's most successful month as a Tiger in 2012. This month, the possible of a Triple Crown became real, as Cabrera launched home run after home run and drove in key run after key run. He had 11 home runs and 30 RBI since Sept. 1. He batted a little worse than .338. </p>
<p>All of a sudden, Cabrera was leading in batting average and RBI, and was tied in home runs, and it was late in September. Time slowed back down. Way down. Each day, multiple players could derail Cabrera's accomplishment. Each day, he held them off. </p>
<p>Wednesday, the scenarios were in place. <span>Josh Hamilton</span> had to hit two home runs. <span>Mike Trout</span> had to have a perfect day. Neither happened. Before the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Tigers</a> even took to the field in Kansas City, the Triple Crown essentially belonged to Cabrera.</p>
<p>How do you prepare yourself to watch an accomplishment that hasn't been done in decades? How do you think you'll feel? I wondered that throughout the day, concluding that the slow boil of the day would keep the moment from having the emotional impact.</p>
<p>Boy was I wrong. </p>
<p>I've never been one for memorizing statistics. It's funny. I write about a game that revels in certain numbers that seemingly everybody remembers. I'm lucky if I recall the number of wins the team reached a year earlier. </p>
<p>But I'll remember a .330 average, 44 home runs and 139 RBI line for the rest of my life.</p>
<p>I guess that's how I'll remember the achievement. I'll literally <i>remember </i>the achievement.</p>
<p>You can have a fun debate whether Cabrera is the Tiger of All-Time, and you'll never be able to come to a conclusive answer. </p>
<p>But Cabrera is the Tiger of <i>our </i>time. I wasn't around for the others, so that's the time that counts to me. </p>
<p>Cabrera took a season that seemed mundane, that seemed like a disappointment, and he made it a year we'll never forget for the rest of our lives as baseball fans. And on top of that, he pulled his team into the postseason along with him. </p>
<p>Superlatives can't capture what it means to be a Tigers fan at this moment. I'm just going to revel in it.</p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2012/10/4/3452652/cabreras-triple-crown-the-accomplishment-of-a-lifetime-mineKurt Mensching2012-10-03T23:14:31-04:002012-10-03T23:14:31-04:00Congratulations pour in to Cabrera
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<p>Frank Robinson and Carl Yastrzemski, baseball's past two Triple Crown winners, congratulated <span>Miguel Cabrera</span> Wednesday for his becoming the newest member of their small Triple Crown group.</p>
<p>In a statement released by the MLB, Robinson, who won the Triple Crown in 1966, said:</p>
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<p> "I congratulate Miguel Cabrera on winning the Triple Crown. Miguel has been outstanding all year long by coming to play every day, showing his discipline at the plate and making the most of his great talent. For me, earning the batting title over Tony Oliva, who we played against in the last series of the year, was the hardest part, and for Miguel, I am sure it was even more challenging, given all the specialized relievers in the game today. Most importantly, Miguel and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Tigers</a> now have the opportunity to participate in the most exciting month of the baseball season. This is an incredible accomplishment for a gifted young man, and Miguel should be proud of his all-around excellence and consistency throughout the season." </p>
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<p>Yastrzemski, who prior to Wednesday was baseball's most recent Triple Crown winner after earning it in 1967, added:</p>
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<p>"I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to Miguel Cabrera on winning the Triple Crown. I am glad that he accomplished this while leading his team to the American League Central title. I was fortunate enough to win this award in 1967 as part of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a> Impossible Dream Team. I am sure Frank Robinson joins me in commending Miguel in reaching this significant milestone in his career." </p>
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<p>Baseball commish Bud Selig also congratulated Cabrera, who finished the season leading the American League in average (.330), home runs (44) and RBI (139). </p>
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<p>"It is an honor to congratulate Miguel Cabrera on earning 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, and this recognition is one that he will be able to cherish for the rest of his career in baseball and beyond. As the Tigers prepare for the Postseason, we have a global stage to witness Miguel's talent, which will go down as one of the hallmarks of Major League Baseball's extraordinary 2012 regular season." </p>
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https://www.blessyouboys.com/2012/10/3/3452492/frank-robinson-carl-yastrzemski-congratulate-cabreraKurt Mensching2012-10-03T23:03:40-04:002012-10-03T23:03:40-04:00The Triple Crown has a logo
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<p>The MLB released this special logo tonight in honor of Miguel Cabrera's achievement as the first batter to win the Triple Crown in 45 years.</p>
<p>The olde English D sure looks good, doesn't it?</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1488781/triple_crown_logo.png"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1488781/triple_crown_logo_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Triple_crown_logo_medium"></a> <br id="1349319712122"></p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2012/10/3/3452474/the-triple-crown-has-a-logoKurt Mensching2012-10-03T22:20:39-04:002012-10-03T22:20:39-04:00Cabrera wins the Triple Crown
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<p>Cabrera won the first Triple Crown since 1967. He became the 15th player to win it, and it's just the 17th time it's been won in history.</p> <p><span style="line-height: 9px;">Miguel </span>Cabrera has won the Triple Crown.</p>
<p>Cabrera went 0-for-2 on Wednesday, but his effort during the first 161 games of the year was enough to clinch baseball's first batting Triple Crown since 1967.</p>
<p>Cabrera finished the regular season with a .330 batting average, 44 home runs and 139 RBI.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a> outfielder <span>Mike Trout</span> went 2-for-3, finishing the season with a .326 average, good for second base.</p>
<p>Texas outfielder <span>Josh Hamilton</span> went 1-for-5 with no home runs and three RBI. He finished the season with 43 HR and 128 RBI. <span>Curtis Granderson</span> came from behind to tie Hamilton at 43 HR after a two homer game before being pulled in the eighth inning.</p>
<div><span style="line-height: 9px;">Cabera became the 15th player to win it, and it's just the 17th time it's been won in history.</span></div>
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<div>I don't want to say Cabrera's Hall of Fame ticket has just been punched, but, well, if history is our guide, yep, that ought to do it.</div>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2012/10/3/3452280/miguel-cabrera-wins-the-triple-crownKurt Mensching2012-10-03T11:55:10-04:002012-10-03T11:55:10-04:00The Triple Crown still matters
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<figcaption>Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE - Presswire</figcaption>
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<p>Some people want to tell you the Triple Crown doesn't matter -- that it's outdated and only important because your grandparents didn't know better. They're wrong. They're <em>waaay </em>wrong.</p> <p><i>The Triple Crown is worthless.</i></p>
<p><i>History regards the Triple Crown as the apex of offensive baseball accomplishment because before the statistical revolution, nobody knew any better. For us to sit here now, with what we know, and accept that on its face is lunacy. </i></p>
<p>That isn't the platform that I signed up for when I declared myself a follower of sabermetrics. Those are both real quotes. The first I've seen on more than one occasion from those who claim there can only be one answer to a subjective question. The second came from <a target="_blank" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/10-degrees--miguel-cabrera-s-triple-crown-push-overshadowing-mike-trout-s-mvp-season.html#more-id">Jeff Passan</a> of Yahoo! Sports.</p>
<p>I've waited my whole life for a Triple Crown of any sort. Baseball, horse racing. I really didn't care. Baseball's hadn't happened since 1967. Horse racing's since 1978. I was beginning to think it would never it. Yet, today, we are on the verge of Miguel Cabrera earning a spot in the pantheon, someone at last winning a Triple Crown. And yet I'm told it doesn't matter? It's worthless? You know what? I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it any more.</p>
<p>Thankfully, Passan does not work for the Ministry of Truth. Two plus two does not equal five. Record books will not be rewritten to reflect the MVP award going to the highest WAR, or the Triple Crown that includes how often a player walks. We still have a choice whether to respect great accomplishments for what they are, rather than to spit on them for what they aren't. We still know better.</p>
<p>Baseball's Triple Crown still matters. Don't let anyone tell you it doesn't. <i>They</i> are true face of lunacy.</p>
<p><i>The Triple Crown is a statistical fluke</i></p>
<p>Carl Yastrzemski, Frank Robinson, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Joe Medwick, Lou Gehrig, Jimmiee Fox, Chuck Klein, Rogers Hornsby, Ty Cobb, Nap Lajoie, Tip O'Neill, Paul Hines. Triple Crown winners, all. Name after name you recognize, and name after name can be found in the Hall of Fame, at least the ones from the past 100 years, because name after name these were some of the best batters in their eras. Nobody fluked their way into a Triple Crown, never to be heard from again. You hit for average. (That still is a good thing, right?) You hit for power. (That is definitely a good thing.) You hit when there are runners on base, and somebody needs to get them home.</p>
<p>I know the arguments sabermetric writers are going to put up here -- I was one for seven years, after all.</p>
<p><i>Batting average isn't a very good stat <b>by itself</b> because it only reflects one thing that a hitter can do at the plate. </i></p>
<p><i></i>It doesn't give you context. Completely true, and why when someone tells you, "He's a .285 hitter" you can't tell if they're talking about <span>Josh Hamilton</span> or <span>Denard Span</span>. Wait, sabermetric writers do remember to tell you "by itself" right?</p>
<p>Hitting the ball routinely actually does still account for a rather large portion of the game, doesn't it? Or have I been missing something all these years?</p>
<p>And luck? Sure, there's a component of luck. Imagine what Miguel Cabrera's average would be if his BABIP this year matched his career average ... which is 14 points higher. Cabrera is actually experiencing the second-lowest BABIP of any year he played a full season.</p>
<p>If you want to put together a true picture of what a hitter does, average has to be part of it.</p>
<p><i>RBI tell you more about a player's teammates than it tells you about the player.</i></p>
<p>Again, a half truth floated with hopes you'll throw an entire statistic out to replace it with ... well, I'm not even sure. A player is going to struggle to collect RBI if there's nobody on base, completely true. However, runners on base alone will not make an RBI champion. You've got to do something with those ducks on the pond. Cabrera did. For batters with at least 200 opportunities, Cabrera's average with runners on trailed just <span>Joe Mauer</span> (.348 to .340).</p>
<p>Cabrera got runners home from second base <a target="_blank" href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/sortable/index.php?cid=1199850">at a higher percentage </a>than Josh Hamilton (23.3 percent to 23.0 percent) and from third base at a higher percentage than Josh Hamilton (45.3 percent to 40.5 percent). And if you want to talk about teammates having an impact, the <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Angels</a> lead the MLB in Fangraphs' baserunning statistic, and the <a href="https://www.lonestarball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rangers</a> are fifth. The <a href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Tigers</a> are fifth from last.</p>
<p>So, excuse me if I'm having a hard time agreeing with your assertion that Cabrera's RBI-lead doesn't mean anything.</p>
<p><i>Home runs </i>... Well, OK, I'm pretty sure that everybody agrees those are a good thing.</p>
<p>I still look at average and RBI as part of my evaluation of a player. Clearly, if I have not been kicked out of the party, the revocation of my saber license is in the mail.</p>
<p>The Triple Crown mattered to your great-grandparents. It mattered to your grandparents. It matters to your parents. They were smart enough to realize a player that hits for average, hits for power, and drives in runs was a pretty darn valuable part of his team. And they saw how infrequently a player managed to do all those things at the same time.</p>
<p>If I'm supposed to throw all that out to be a sabermetric writer, you know what, I don't want to be one. I'd rather use my brain and think for myself.</p>
<p>At least this way I won't miss greatness when I see it.</p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2012/10/3/3448684/the-triple-crown-still-matters-dont-let-anybody-tell-you-otherwiseKurt Mensching2012-10-02T21:05:51-04:002012-10-02T21:05:51-04:00Miguel Cabrera finishes 2-for-3 Tuesday night
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<p>In his quest for the Triple Crown, <span>Miguel Cabrera</span> singled in each of his first two at-bats Tuesday in Kansas City. The second single drove in a pair of runs. Cabrera finished his night 2-for-3, leaving in the fifth inning.</p>
<p>Cabrera's up-to-the-minute average: .331. He leads Los Angeles outfielder <span>Mike Trout</span>, who is hitting .326.</p>
<p>Cabrera leads Texas outfielder <span>Josh Hamilton</span> by one home run and 12 RBI.</p>
<p>Trout and Hamilton do not play until later in the night.</p>
<p>Hamilton will face Oakland and starting pitcher <span>Travis Blackley</span> (5-4, 4.00)</p>
<p>Trout is in Seattle to face <span>Hisashi Iwakuma</span> (8-5, 3.32).</p>
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<p>11:15 p.m. update:</p>
<p>Hamilton has an RBI double, but no HR.</p>
<p>Trout is 1-for-2 with a .325 average.</p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2012/10/2/3446710/miguel-cabrera-2-for-2-through-3-innings-tuesdayKurt Mensching2012-10-02T13:27:57-04:002012-10-02T13:27:57-04:00The Ridiculous Cabrera/Trout Debate
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<p>Two excellent seasons in baseball. Two players with incredibly high value to each franchise. And one argument that is ruining it for everyone.</p> <p>Sports arguments don't matter, nor should they. I think most of us understand that. They exist so we may say to one another, "Hey, I don't know you, but we can still talk about this common topic of interest." ("Also, love your avatar!")</p>
<p>For sportswriters, it's their job to synthesize the logic and analyze these trivial matters. It means a lot to them. And many of them do it well often, including the select few journalists I'm about to mention.</p>
<p>Yes, this is about <span>Miguel Cabrera</span> vs. <span>Mike Trout</span> for American League MVP, sort of, but—</p>
<p><i>[you close this tab]</i></p>
<p>No, wait! Come back! it's also about you and me and the way we are debating this.</p>
<p><i>[you reopen the tab]</i></p>
<p>Thank you for the second chance. I'll make it up to you. Much like RBI and WAR are flawed statistics, the Internet is in some ways a flawed medium to host a continental exchange of ideas and arguments.</p>
<p>To some writers, they're done with the debate in their minds. They were done a month ago. There's not even a question who the MVP is to them. It's Mike Trout. Everybody else has been worse at baseball than Mike Trout this season, so stop arguing about it, because you're stupid.</p>
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<p>Trout remains the only rational choice. "@<a href="https://twitter.com/peter_villa_iii">peter_villa_iii</a>: @<a href="https://twitter.com/keithlaw">keithlaw</a> Who would you choose as your AL MVP??"</p>
— keithlaw (@keithlaw) <a data-datetime="2012-09-19T14:49:00+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/keithlaw/status/248433515908182016">September 19, 2012</a>
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<p>Then we have Rob Parker, a sportswriter that Detroit gets to call our own. Yippee? This may not specifically have been a pro-Cabrera argument, but it still serves as a beacon of pathetic behavior during sports arguments:</p>
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<p>To all the stat-geeks that follow @<a href="https://twitter.com/keithlaw">keithlaw</a>: please put ur calculators down and watch the damn game. That's why the A's haven't won jack.</p>
— Rob Parker (@RobParkerESPN) <a data-datetime="2012-09-26T20:39:18+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/RobParkerESPN/status/251058385766727680">September 26, 2012</a>
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<p>Then on Monday came the always provocative Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, who has made a career out of fascinating articles, with an article on why Trout is the MVP. I like Passan. Specifically I've enjoyed the way he's shined a light on the hubris of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a>' owners. He keeps hacking until he hits bone, then pulls out the saw. So maybe it comes with the territory that he'd say something like this:</p>
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<p>For the Cabrera Truthers, please read: The no-nonsense, no-spin, no-BS truth why Mike Trout is AL MVP. <a title="http://yhoo.it/SwVrG2" href="http://t.co/LPlNQFN3">yhoo.it/SwVrG2</a></p>
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a data-datetime="2012-10-01T13:09:38+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/252757164282765313">October 1, 2012</a>
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<p><i>[long sigh]</i></p>
<p>My understanding is that the term "Truthers" refers to not just any logic-dismissing wingnut, but<a target="_blank" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=truther"> a specific group </a>which believes the United States government helped facilitate terrorist attacks on their own country on September 11, 2001. He made some great arguments in there, but Passan took one line, one phrase, and froze the conversation in its tracks by comparing people who think Cabrera is the American League Most Valuable player to people who believe in conspiracy theories.</p>
<p>In fairness to Passan, he did respond to my shock at <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/252857361725800448">his use of the term</a>. He did not mean to refer to that particular conspiracy, but rather "someone who throws out reason, logic and sense to espouse something crazy." I'm sure his intent was pure but this still falls under the umbrella of trying to chill the conversation by calling people who think Cabrera should be the MVP illogical and crazy. And based on some respondents on Twitter, I am not the only one to make that connection to 9/11.</p>
<p>But this is the point we've reached. This debate has been hyped as a clash for the ages between traditionalists and Sabermetricians. RBIs vs. WAR. A slow, power-hitting veteran vs. a speedy, brash young leadoff hitter. <span>Justin Verlander's</span> MVP vs. <span>Jered Weaver</span>. A blue-collar city of Detroit vs. the glitzy California metropolis of Los Angeles. The players are so different! The dividing line is huge!</p>
<p>It really isn't. Not to make this about politics, but every year it seems to me that both Democrat and Republican nominees are more similar to each other than we're led to believe. The same is true of Cabrera, Trout and what they mean to each franchise.</p>
<p>You may have heard Cabrera's 40-plus home-run season is the first by a Tiger since Cecil Fielder. The franchise history is long but the list of great hitters isn't. Ty Cobb was the best hitter on a planet that had yet to experience color film. Greenberg and Cash and Horton never had the longevity, or as much power. Bobby Higginson: LOL. The list of recent "great" hitters is probably Al Kaline — and he fell just shy of 400 HR — and now Cabrera. Ever since he slapped on the "24," he was touted as the greatest <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Tigers</a> hitter since Kaline, a sentiment shared by Kaline himself.</p>
<p>We as a fanbase may finally have a once-in-a-generation hitter to call our own. Ever since the retirement of Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker, there's never even been a true All-Star position player. Until this year, the Comerica Park home run leader was <span>Brandon Inge</span>.</p>
<p>But Trout is the exact same hope for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a>. The franchise has existed about 50 years, but how many great hitters have they featured? Rod Carew showed up in the twilight of his career. Maybe Vladimir Guerrero or <span>Torii Hunter</span>, but I identify them with other teams first. Tim Salmon, <span>Garret Anderson</span>, <span>Jim Edmonds</span> ... the list is chock full of solid players with excellent careers, but nobody that pops out as a true generational hitter. Mike Trout played roughly one full season and already has the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/ANA/leaders_bat_50.shtml">24th best career rWAR in Angels history</a>. At age 21. They're thinking, wow, four or five more seasons like this and Trout could become the greatest Angels player ever, according to Wins Above Replacement. FINALLY.</p>
<p>The age, experience, body type, and 40-times are galaxies apart. But both teams are champing at the bit and remain fervent about their most valuable player for the same reasons: we've never had a player like this on our team for a while, if ever. Both are correct, and both have produced historic seasons. They've both been absolutely awesome stories this season, becoming soured by a close, arbitrary decision of whose season was better.</p>
<p>Someone will win the MVP and the other will finish second. This is where we, as emotionally-invested fans and rational individuals, need to accept reality: we are not wrong, nor do we have control over this. We've made our point. Miguel Cabrera has made his point, too. The Tigers are in the playoffs. Cabrera might earn the Triple Crown. Let's enjoy the rest of the season, because that ALDS is going to be stressful as hell.</p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2012/10/2/3438820/al-mvp-debate-miguel-cabrera-mike-troutMatt Sussman2012-10-01T21:43:32-04:002012-10-01T21:43:32-04:00Miguel Cabrera increases grip on Triple Crown
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<p>Miguel Cabrera is closer to earning the Triple Crown than any player since the last winner, Carl Yastrzemski, did it 45 years ago. He had a single and home through his first three at-bats Monday.</p> <p><span>Miguel Cabrera's</span> chances of earning baseball's first Triple Crown in 45 years took a positive turn during Monday against the Royals after a four-hit day.</p>
<p>In his second at-bat of the day, Cabrera <a target="_blank" href="http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25251849&topic_id=players&c_id=det&tcid=vpp_copy_25251849&v=3">connected for his 200th hit</a> of the season, a single to right field off <span>Bruce Chen</span>. That's the first time in his career he hit the 200-hit mark.</p>
<p>His next hit was a bit louder, though. Cabrera homered to right field in the sixth, his 44th homer of the year. He now leads <span>Josh Hamilton</span> by one. Hamilton's game against Oakland is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. tonight.</p>
<p>Cabrera singled in both his fourth and fifth at-bats of the night, finishing the game with a .329 average.</p>
<p>Mike Trout is 2-for-2 in the Angels' game through three innings, increasing his average to .323. <span>Joe Mauer</span> went 1-for-5 for the Twins against Toronto, dropping his average to .322.</p>
<p>Cabrera has 137 RBI, a lead of 10 over Hamilton.</p>
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2012/10/1/3441282/miguel-cabrera-triple-crownKurt Mensching