Lakeland, Fla. — The first thing Miguel Cabrera thought when he heard Justin Verlander was coming back to the Tigers?
“I said I want to come back, too,” he said, laughing.
It’s always a mood-lifter when Cabrera shows up in camp. He arrived Sunday and manager AJ Hinch introduced him to the team during the morning meeting Monday.
“He doesn’t really need an introduction,” Hinch said. “But I wanted to recognize him to the group. I acknowledged him, Tram (Alan Trammell) and the Skipper (Jim Leyland). Kind of like, legends among us.”
All three will one day be in the Hall of Fame together. Leyland and Trammell are already in. Cabrera will be eligible for induction in 2028.
“I don’t want to think about that,” Cabrera said. “It makes me anxious. You don’t know what’s going to happen, you know? You’ve got to wait until that year.”
Well, with 511 homers, 3,174 hits, two MVPs, a Triple Crown and four batting titles, it would be stunning if Cabrera doesn’t get in on his first ballot. For now, though, as a special assistant to Tigers’ president Scott Harris, Cabrera is content to lend a hand to the hitters and first basemen while he’s in camp.
“I miss being out here,” he said. “But playing? No. My body can’t take anymore.”
Hinch joked Cabrera was here to recruit some players for Team Venezuela, namely prospects Eduardo Valencia and Josue Briceño, and Cabrera didn’t deny it.
“They’re really good,” he said, with a smile. “They’ve got an opportunity to do a really good. I asked (if they wanted to play in the WBC). They said no.”
Cabrera and former Tiger Victor Martinez are hitting coaches for Team Venezuela.
“It’s going to be awesome,” Cabrera said. “I’m really excited. We have a good relationship. We’re good friends. I think we’re going to help the team, just being positive and bring some energy.”
Asked what his general advice to young hitters would be, Cabrera said trust your talent and play the game.
“Learn to slow the game down,” he said. “This game is physical but it is also a mental game. You’ve got to slow down your mind. Don’t try to do too much. They’ve got a lot of talent but they have to work hard and trust the talent they have.
“Right now, they got a lot of numbers (being thrown at them). You can’t focus on that stuff in the box. Before the game, yes. But in the game, you’ve got to go play and play the game right.”
Cabrera said he was locked in on the Tigers last season, especially down the stretch and into the playoffs.
“That was exciting for me,” he said. “I was still playing when they signed some of those guys (Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson). To see how good they are now is amazing to me.”
The signing of Verlander, Cabrera said, is more than just a feel-good story.
“I think it’s going to be good for the team and for the city,” he said. “I hope he can be healthy for the whole year and we can win another division and hopefully make a good run to the World Series.”
Cabrera walked to the backfields before the game to watch Verlander throw a 21-pitch live bullpen and came away amazed Verlander at 43, a couple of months older than he is, is still doing it.
“He’s unbelievable,” Cabrera said. “You’ve got to appreciate his (work) ethic. He’s one of those guys who has always worked hard. To see him in Detroit again is awesome, especially with this team we’ve got now.”
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
@cmccosky
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers’ great Miguel Cabrera not ready to think about Hall of Fame
Reporting by Chris McCosky, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
