Miguel Cabrera

No one in 45 years had done it. No one combined being able to hit for power with hitting for contact. No one had the skills to lead their league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. Until 2012, when a beast of a man named Miguel Cabrera hit for a .330 batting average, 44 home runs, and 139 runs batted in. How did he do it? Cabrera looks like your typical home run hitter, standing 6 feet 4 inches and weighing around 240 lbs. But the secret to hit success is his head. Miguel knows when to swing for the fences, when to rip one right back up the middle, and when to shoot for the corners to bring in runs. Cabrera came from a baseball rich family. This is his story.

Jose Miguel Torres Cabrera was born on April 18, 1983 in Maracay, Venezuela. His father, mother and uncle were all promising stars in their days, his uncle even making it to AAA baseball in the minor leagues. At age 14 Miguel told his father he wanted to be a professional baseball player. Around that time many Major League Baseball scouts were looking at him, and many teams bid as high as 2 million to sign Cabrera. In 1999 he eventually signed with the Florida Marlins, currently named the Miami Marlins. In 2000 and 2001 Miguel played in Florida's minor league system where he flourished and started to gain lots of attention. He was selected to compete in the 2001 Futures Game, part of the 2001 All-Star game festivities. Miguel started the 2003 season in Double A baseball in the minors, but in June he was called up to the Majors, a decision which would change his life forever.

In his first game in the Majors he won the game by hitting a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning. Cabrera won the Rookie of the Month Award in July and sparked the Marlins to make a playoff run. In the Divisional Round the Marlins defeated the San Francisco Giants in 4 games, helped by Miguel's monster Game 4. The Marlins then beat the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series with Cabrera batting .333 with 3 home runs. The Marlins then won the World Series against the New York Yankees with Miguel hitting a homer off legendary pitcher Roger Clemens. Cabrera had 12 RBI's in the postseason, and earned instant celebrity status after the World Series. He became Venezuela's most famous athlete. He had many new endorsments, and fans everywhere wanted his autograph. No one could get enough of Miguel Cabrera.

Cabrera made the All-Star Game in both 2004 and 2005, continuing his success from the 2003 World Series Title season. The Marlins, though, were in a funk. They underachieved most of the time between the 2004 through 2006 seasons, and at the end of the 2007 season were ready to make big changes. Miguel was now a coveted player, one of the elite hitters in the game of baseball. The Detroit Tigers were looking to trade, so the Marlins sent Cabrera and pitcher Dontrelle Willis to the Tigers for a bunch of prospects. The Tigers finished in last place in 2008, then gave up a historic lead at the end of the 2009 season to miss the playoffs. Sadly, Miguel got in trouble with the law at the end of the season, with speeding on the road and getting a DUI for drinking too much and driving. That could have been the end of it for Miguel, but he rebounded in the 2010 season to earn an All-Star Game appearance. By 2011, he was ready to roll.

Cabrera came to Spring Training in 2011 ready to rewrite the history books. He led the American League in batting average while taking the Tigers from to the American League Championship Series before losing to the Texas Rangers. Then came 2012. Miguel became the first person in 45 years to win the Triple Crown. He won all kind of awards, including the Silver Slugger, and took the Tigers into the World Series before losing to the San Francisco Giants. He came back and won the 2013 Batting Title, even though he was plagued by foot and leg injuries. The Tigers went back to the ALCS before losing again to the Boston Red Sox.

Cabrera is the best hitter in the game, and no one even comes close. He's won all types of awards, trophies, and honors. Miguel Cabrera is my hero.