#24, MVP

Miguel Cabrera. 

I remember the shock when the Tigers acquired Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis for a large package full of Detroit Tigers prospects — including the top two in the organization at the time: Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller. It was a lot to give up, but both Cabrera and Willis seemed to have huge upsides.

In his first few years, Miggy won a home run title, a runs batted in title, and a batting title. Then, just because he could, he won all three in the same season. And that's called a Triple Crown. His 2012 season was truly one for the ages, but ages must be under scrutiny because he is actually having a BETTER 2013 than his previous season. And his previous season was unlike any we had seen in, well, a long, long time.

The other day I was talking to a kid, probably 10 or so. He was talking about Cabrera and what a star he was. I just smiled and agreed and was glad that some of today's youth still love baseball and like to talk about it. I simply said, "Enjoy it because you may never see anyone play like him again."

He is so good. Make that, he is so great.

As a rookie in 2003, he hit a walk off home run in his first game. He just does great things on the field. He's a team player and he loves to win. It's so fun to watch him after a Tigers victory. Few players seem to really like winning. My hero, Kirk Gibson, is a player who I really think could have struck out four times in a game and if the Tigers (or Dodgers, Pirates, or Royals (well, maybe not the Royals) won, he was okay. Conversely, he could get five hits and if the Tigers lost … stay away. Cabrera is often the first player out of the dugout to greet the team after a win. He's a true team player. Heck, his team won the World Series his rookie year. And it's hard to believe that that season was the worst season in Tigers history. He was a Florida Marlin then. They're the Miami Marlins now.

It is awesome to know he's a Tiger. He's grown into a gentleman, an ambassador of the game and of the Tigers; he's humble and what he really likes to do is hit a baseball. And right now, he does that better than most players in the world.