CHICAGO -- As Miguel Cabrera talked to reporters ahead of the Tigers' contest against the White Sox on Friday, the future Hall of Famer was all smiles after being selected to his 12th All-Star Game and first since 2016.?
¡°It¡¯s a great honor to be a part of the All-Star Game,¡± Cabrera said. ¡°Every All-Star Game is different, and you watch for all the great players that are gonna be there. It¡¯s gonna be fun.¡±
Cabrera will join Cardinals future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols, as both were selected by Commissioner Rob Manfred to participate in this year¡¯s All-Star Game in Los Angeles as legacy selections.
¡°It¡¯s really special,¡± Cabrera said. ¡°I always looked up to Albert and always followed his career. He¡¯s one of the best hitters I have ever seen in my life. So to be a part of this together is great.¡±
¡°I¡¯m really happy for Miggy,¡± added manager A.J. Hinch. ¡°First off, it¡¯s an incredible gesture by the Commissioner to honor the game¡¯s best. That¡¯s what the game is all about. It¡¯s a great legacy award for Pujols and Miggy, two guys that have dominated their era.¡±
Cabrera received the call personally from Manfred and was caught off guard when he saw the Commissioner¡¯s name pop up on his phone.
¡°He called me and said, 'Do you want to be a part of the All-Star Game?'¡± Cabrera said. ¡°It was a good surprise.¡±
The veteran slugger couldn¡¯t contain his excitement on Friday as he prepares to rep his Tigers again in the Midsummer Classic. But he¡¯s even more ecstatic to share this special moment with his family.
Christopher Cabrera -- Miguel¡¯s son -- was just 4 years old when his dad last made the All-Star Game in 2016. Now, with Christopher at age 10, Miguel is looking forward to sharing that moment with his son.
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s going to be great for him,¡± Cabrera said. ¡°Now he¡¯ll understand more of what I do and what we do. He¡¯s excited and my family is excited and I can¡¯t wait to be there.¡±
With this selection, the 39-year-old will make his 12th All-Star appearance as he continues to build his Hall of Fame resume. But each All-Star Game is an unforgettable experience for Cabrera, and this one is no different.
¡°I¡¯m excited right now,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get there. It¡¯s fun because it¡¯s the only time that we can get together and sit together and talk about everything. It¡¯s a good time to talk about baseball.¡±
This milestone is yet another for Cabrera amid an already impressive year. He¡¯s hitting .308 at the plate with three home runs and 31 RBIs this season. He¡¯s also just one RBI away from tying Ken Griffey Jr. (1,836) for 16th all-time and one double away from tying Paul Molitor (605) for 15th all-time.
But this selection is a big one for Cabrera as he nears the end of his career.
¡°He was pretty emotional when we talked about it, just being happy and happy for his family and I know he¡¯s proud of playing well,¡± Hinch said. ¡°He¡¯s contributing and doing a lot of good things. The Commissioner recognizing him for not only what he¡¯s done this year, but what his whole career has meant to baseball, it really means something, especially to him.
"The joy that he brings every day is something that we always have to remember to appreciate in the moment. He¡¯s going to be done playing one of these days, and we need his joy to be passed on to our younger players so that we can carry on his love of the game.¡±
Cabrera remembers hitting his first home run in the 2014 All-Star Game off Adam Wainwright in Minnesota, which he defined as the best All-Star moment of his career. And with another go-round for the future Hall of Famer, he¡¯s looking forward to Hollywood and playing with some of the game¡¯s best athletes.
¡°It¡¯s a great experience,¡± Cabrera said. ¡°Have fun and enjoy the game.¡±