On a night celebrating Detroit Tigers’ designated hitter Miguel Cabrera, the Kansas City Royals beat the Tigers 3-1.

Cabrera, 38, became the 28th player in the history of Major League Baseball to accomplish this feat and did so on Aug 22, 2021 at the Toronto Blue Jays. Cabrera is also the 1st player to hit his 500th in a Detroit Tigers Uniform. His current home run count is now at 502.

The pregame celebration featured a number of notable figures, including the President of the MLB Hall of Fame, to whom Cabrera donated the helmet he wore when he hit 500, General Manager Al Avila, and former Tigers’ Manager Jim Leyland, who coached Cabrera from 2008 to 2013.

A World Series Champion with the Florida Marlins, Cabrera was traded to the Tigers in 2007, where he has spent 14 years and hit 364 home runs as of this writing. Cabrera quickly earned a reputation as one of the best players in the game, leading a stacked Detroit Tigers team throughout the early 2010s, where he became a two-time MVP, a four-time American League Batting Champion, and the first Triple Crown winner in the MLB since 1967, and the first Tiger to win it since Ty Cobb in 1909.

Cabrera went 1-4 against the Royals as he chases his next accomplishment, the 3,000 hits club, where he currently sits at 2,980 hits as of this game, good for 34th all time.

Former no. 1  pick Casey Mize started for the Tigers, allowing three hits and a run before being replaced by relief pitcher Jose Urena. Pitcher Carlos Hernandez pitched a shutout against Detroit for the first five  innings, before relief pitcher Domingo Tapia allowed Cabrera to single, which led to the sole run the Tigers scored which tied the game. The Royals would go on to score in back-to-back innings to win the game.

Both Detroit and Kansas City are eliminated from playoff contention, though with the win, Kansas City won the overall series against Detroit this season 10-7.

With Mize and Detroit’s 2020 number one overall pick Spencer Torkelson on the way, Detroit is looking to build and develop the future with the leadership of future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera. Detroit has many of the league’s top prospects in the Minor Leagues as they continue to work back into contention. Torkelson, who placed in the top six in numerous batting categories, will benefit greatly from the tutorship of the two-time MVP.

With only a few games left in the regular season, all eyes are on the future, with new prospects and Cabrera’s chase for 3,000 hits. Whether he hits 3,000 this season or next, Miguel Cabrera has cemented his status as one of the all-time Tiger greats. Though his celebration was spoiled, progress is one game at a time. Whether it is his first  home run, his 500th, or his 3,000th hit, the most important moment is the game at hand.