It’s the bottom of the ninth inning, there’s two outs, and I’m only just now trying to figure out how to say goodbye to Miguel Cabrera, the third baseman/first baseman/designated hitter/superstar who, well, has just six games left as a Detroit Tiger.I mean, I knew this week was coming.I even joked about it, six months ago in the fifth Tigers Newsletter of the year. And yet, here we are with six games to go in this season, Cabrera’s 21st and final as a big leaguer — just in case you’re somehow hearing about Cabrera’s impending retirement, just now — and I’m slowly walking to the plate, wondering what I’m facing in this, newsletter No. 30.The numbers stand for themselves: 3,168 hits. 624 doubles. 510 homers. A .306 batting average. 9,000 visits (give or take) to Cabrera’s baseball-reference page this month alone, as I write way, way too many words about all the innings that have come before. (Not here, don’t worry; they’ll arrive at freep.com later this week.) …Or maybe it’s the top of the first inning, that December 2007 day in Nashville, Tennessee, where Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski has swung the deal that will define the franchise for a decade and a half, shipping Burke Badenhop, Eulogio De La Cruz, Cameron Mayin, Andrew Miller, Mike Rabelo and Dallas Trahern to the Florida Marlins for Cabrera and right-hander Dontrelle Willis. That day, I’m in my second year as a visual journalist at the Freep (and my sixth year in the pros — not unlike Miggy, actually) and I’m only barely realizing how big the deal is as I spin out research on the page to back up columnist Drew Sharp. He’d been around and even he was surprised, writing, “Nothing else in recent memory comes close for sheer shock value.”Miguel Cabrera signs an autograph on a jersey for a fan as the Detroit Tigers held Tiger Fest at Comerica Park, Jan. 12, 2008.And now Cabrera has more than 2,000 games as a Tiger — 2,072 actually; good for seventh in franchise history — and is in the top 10 in so many statistical categories. He’d be No. 1 in most, except the Tigers are also the franchise that employed Ty Cobb and Charlie Gehringer and Al Kaline and Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker and, well, you know …Want more Tigers news and analysis in your inbox every Monday during the season? Sign up for our Tigers newsletter.  Or maybe it’s the fourth inning, that May 2010 night at Comerica Park, where I’m taking my stepdad — not a baseball diehard but putting up with it for me on a Friday night — to his first Tigers game during his and my mom’s first visit to Detroit, and Cabrera crushes a pair of homers in the first four innings. My stepdad sees those shots, to center and to left field, and he gets it. (A third homer in the ninth inning doesn’t hurt, either.) He became an instant Tigers fan and hasn’t gone anywhere since without his cap with the Old English “D” (I’ve replaced the hat twice from here) back home in Washington state.I imagine it has been like that for a lot of folks, with Cabrera bridging the gaps in conversations every two or three innings as everyone marvels just how he could do what he does (even now, when what he does isn’t quite what he did).Or maybe it’s the fifth inning, when Cabrera’s 1.009 OPS is the highest of any Tiger (minimum 700 at-bats) — that sweet spot when the game is on the line, and even if you’re not quite sure how it’s going to work out, well, it’s time to step up to the plate and take a swing.Hello, and welcome to the Very Last Miguel Cabrera Newsletter (I Think).As I wrote just a bit ago, I’ve got a lot of words about Miguel Cabrera coming this week — and I’m not alone in that, so I hope you’ll stick with us here at the Freep as Cabrera plays his final games of what is, yes, finally, a Hall of Fame career. But before then, I thought I’d take a look at the Miggy Milestones on the board (sticking with MLB’s official totals, with some leeway for historical discrepancies) as Cabrera and the Tigers finish off 2023 with six more games at Comerica Park.READ MORE: A.J. Hinch gives Tigers elimination speech with different tone: ‘Hope this is the last year’GamesAfter Sunday’s start, No. 2,792, Cabrera needs just one more appearance to pass Cleveland star Tris Speaker and take sole possession of 25th on MLB’s all-time list. Baseball-reference’s list, however, has Cabrera two games behind Pittsburgh great Honus Wagner for 25th. Regardless, with six games left to go this season — he’ll play some but probably not all — Cabrera is a virtual lock to finish 25th, no matter who he passes.At-batsThis one’s a little clearer — 11 more at-bats and Miggy (10,339) slides past Royals pal George Brett (10,349) for 22nd all-time. (And yes, as Brett reminded us last year, that means he and Cabrera are among the select members of the “7,000 Club” — but Brett has 10 more outs made than Cabrera.)Plate appearancesCabrera’s final time at the plate on Sunday was No. 11,174 of his career, centering him between a pair of Orioles greats — one more than Frank Robinson, to put him in 24th place all-time and eight fewer than longtime Baltimore third baseman Brooks Robinson, at 11,782; figure Miggy makes it to No. 23 even if some of his games this week are a little short.Total basesWith 5,356 bases, Cabrera is likely locked in at No. 14 all-time; he’d need 18 more bases — say, two homers, two doubles and six singles — in this final week to pass Frank Robinson (5,373) for No. 13.RunsFour more times across the plate would give Miggy 1,552 runs scored and push him past “The Straw That Stirs The Drink” — Reggie Jackson, at 1,551 runs — and into a tie at No. 55 with Hugh Duffy, whose nickname, “Sir Hugh,” isn’t nearly as cool (but that’s because he played most of his career before the modern age began in 1901).Miguel Cabrera #24 of the Detroit Tigers reaches for the ball as Adrian Beltre #29 of the Texas Rangers is out by a step in the third inning during a MLB game at Comerica Park on May 7, 2016 in Detroit, Michigan.HitsAh, a sexy category … but also likely a locked-in one — Cabrera passed buddy Adrián Beltré for 16th all-time with his single Tuesday in Los Angeles. He needs 17 more to pass Cal Ripken Jr. (3,184) for 15th on MLB’s list. (While I’m here, I’ll note that 1,195 of Cabrera’s hits have come at Comerica Park; he needs just five more to become the 32nd MLB player with 1,200 at any one park; the CoPa may not be “The House That Miggy Built,” but it’s arguably “The House That Miggy Rented For Far Too Long Rather Than Taking Out A Manageable Low-Interest Mortgage To Buy.”)DoublesMiggy enters this week tied with Hank Aaron for 13th on MLB’s list with 624 doubles, thanks to his two-bagger on Friday night in Oakland. He might snap the tie, but that’s likely it; David Ortiz (632) is probably safe at No. 12.TriplesHahahahahhahahahaha … moving on…Extra-base hitsBut seriously, Cabrera does have 17 triples to go with his doubles and homers, for a total of 1,151 extra-base hits — the same as Beltré in 14th place (and 14 ahead of Cobb). Longtime Red Sox great Carl Yastrzemski sits just ahead of them, at 1,157.WalksCabrera’s next walk will break a tie with another Tigers great (albeit not on the same level), Rusty Staub — Miggy and “Le Grand Orange” are knotted at No. 54 all-time with 1,255 free passes; Miggy needs eight to leap past Jack Clark (1,252) at No. 53 and tie Ken Singleton (1,253) at No. 52.StrikeoutsNo movement’s happening here; Cabrera’s at 2,103, solidly in sixth all-time between countryman Andrés Galarraga (2,003) and Alex Rodriguez (2,287).RBIsCabrera’s total of 1,878 runs batted in is 13th according to MLB’s list, one behind Cap Anson’s 1,879. (Baseball-reference, by the way, counts Anson’s first five seasons in the National Association, 1871-75, as big-league seasons — putting Anson at 2,075 RBIs and leaving Miggy 31 RBIs short of its No. 13, Willie Mays, with 1,903.)Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers reacts after taking ball four drawing a walk to load the bases against the Oakland Athletics in the top of the third inning at RingCentral Coliseum on September 24, 2023 in Oakland, California.Home runsAnd finally, the big one — Cabrera hit his third of the season and 510th of his career Aug. 27 at Comerica Park to move past former teammate Gary Sheffield for 26th on MLB’s list. One more this week would tie him with Giants great Mel Ott at No. 25, and two more would tie him with Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews (who spent his final two seasons as a Tiger) at No. 23. Beyond that? Willie McCovey, Frank Thomas and Ted Williams are all tied for 20th, with 521 career homers.And the skipper, too …Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch (14) talks to the media in the dugout before the game against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California, on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023.Our milestone watch continues in the dugout with manager A.J. Hinch, who reached 1,500 games as a big-league skipper on Friday night; he’ll finish this season with 1,508 games, good for 90th all-time and seventh among active managers. Unfortunately for Hinch and the Tigers, Friday also brought their official elimination from the American League Central race. Still, that came about four months later than it did in 2022, sparking some optimism for 2024, as well as a goal for the final week of 2023, which the Freep’s Evan Petzold has the scoop on here.3 to watchTigers infielder Spencer Torkelson hits a single against the Athletics during the first inning on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in Oakland, California.Miggy and A.J. aren’t the only ones, of course, with notable milestones in reach:SAWYER GIPSON-LONG: Needs four strikeouts for the franchise record in first four appearances combined.TARIK SKUBAL: Needs six strikeouts to reach 100 for the third straight season (which would be the longest Tigers streak since Matthew Boyd had three 100K seasons from 2017-19).SPENCER TORKELSON: Finally got a hit with the bases loaded, but still needs a homer to become first Tiger since 2016 with 30.Skubal divingDetroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal delivers to an Oakland Athletics batter during the fourth inning at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California, on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023.While we’re on the topic of Tarik Skubal, Our Man Petzold had a chat recently with the scout who unearthed the lefty in the Pacific Northwest, Dave Dangler. Skubal’s success as a Tiger — and his rapid recovery from flexor tendon surgery — hasn’t been a surprise for Dangler, who was there for Skubal’s time in the WAC. Head here to find out why Dangler says Skubal could be a Tiger “for the next 10 years, easily.”Desert dogsTigers pitching prospect Jackson Jobe stretches during practice at the spring training minor league minicamp Thursday, Feb.17, 2022 at Tiger Town in Lakeland, Florida.Skubal is a rarity; thanks to his rapid rise from a 2018 ninth-round pick to the majors in 2020 — and the coronavirus pandemic that overlapped with that — he never got to shine in the Arizona Fall League. But as baseball life continues its return to normal, the Tigers announced their slate of prospects headed to the Phoenix area for October’s prospect matchups. Head here to find out from Our Man Petzold who’s headed to the desert next month. (Hint: There’s no Colt Keith, but a pair of first-rounders will be taking their next step to The Show.)A new face in the front officeJeff Greenberg.Making the call on prospects is a task spread among Tigers front office folks; that number increased by one on last week with the Tigers’ announcement of — FINALLY — a general manager to help out president of baseball operations (aka, the POBO) Scott Harris: Jeff Greenberg, who spent this year in Chicago working for the Blackhawks? But before that, Greenberg and the Tigers’ POBO were BFFs in the CUBS, er, the Cubs’ front office. Our Man Petzold has the story here of how Greenberg went from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008 to working as an MLB GM in 2023 — literally, the span of Miggy’s Tigers career — here. (Greenberg is young, at 37, but he has baseball in his blood. Head here to learn about his family connections to baseball in the Lone Star State.)Happy birthday, Riley Greene!Detroit Tigers’ Riley Greene hits a RBI single to right during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees at Comerica Park in Detroit on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023.Young Tigers, you say? What do you get the youngest Tiger on the 28-man roster, who turns 23 on Thursday? Uhhhh, Tommy John surgery? OK, OK, that’s actually kind of a crappy gift, but at least the procedure, which Riley Greene underwent on Wednesday comes with a bonus gift: A potential Opening Day return. Head here to find out from Our Man Petzold why the Tigers are optimistic that the outfielder will return fully healthy from the ligament work on his non-throwing elbow.Other Tigers birthdays this week: Rob Deer (63 on Friday), Travis Demeritte (29 on Saturday), Carlos Guillen (48 on Saturday), Jose Lima (would be 51 on Saturday; died in 2010), Ike Blessitt (74 on Saturday), Robbie Ray (32 on Sunday).Mark your calendarKansas City Royals starting pitcher Zack Greinke throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Thursday, July 20, 2023.And so it comes to this: One final week, with six games at Comerica Park, beginning Tuesday with a visit from the second-worst team in baseball — not that that’s a harbinger of Tigers success, considering they just split a four-game series with the actual worst team over the weekend — the Kansas City Royals. And just as the Tigers are preparing to say goodbye to Miggy, the Royals are preparing to part ways with veteran righty Zack Greinke, who’s set to start for the final time Tuesday. It hasn’t been a stellar finish for the 2009 AL Cy Young winner — the 1-15 record and 5.37 ERA are particularly crooked — but barring a sudden spate of wildness Tuesday, he’ll become just the sixth pitcher 39 or older (he hits 40 in October) to make at least 25 starts and give up more home runs than walks. There’s also a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians beginning Friday, but if you read all the way through my Miggy-dendums, you probably already knew that. The big event is Saturday: Miggy’s retirement ceremony, before a 1:10 p.m. start. And then …TL;DRDetroit Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera watches his double against the Oakland Athletics during the fourth inning at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California, on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023.Whatever the inning — first or fourth, fifth or ninth — no Tiger has been as captivating to watch over the past 16 years. I can’t tell you how many of his 2,072 games as a Tiger that I’ve watched, either in person or on TV … but I can tell you this: I’ve almost always paused whatever I was doing when Miggy was striding to the plate. I guess I’ll be doing it one last time on Sunday afternoon.Contact Ryan Ford at [email protected]. Follow him on X (which used to be Twitter, y’know?) @theford.This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers Newsletter: Miguel Cabrera has a few milestones left

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