The 39-year-old Venezuelan, in his 20th season, is the 33rd player to reach the milestone of Major League Baseball’s 119-year history.
After the hard ground on the right, with a runner on first base, Cabrera pointed his right arm skyward and raised his fist as he headed for first. He then exchanged a hug with Rockies shortstop Jose Iglesias, a friend and former Tigers teammate.
Cabrera joins Henry Aaron, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Willie Mays, Rafael Palmeiro and Eddie Murray as the only players in history to have amassed 3,000 career hits and 500 homers.
“His humility, passion for fun and genuine love of the city of Detroit is completely unmatched and joining the 3,000 hits club only solidifies his position as one of the greatest players of all time.”
Cabrera hit a two-run single in the sixth inning for his 3,001st hit before leaving the game for a pinch runner.
Now, Cabrera is just one-two away from earning a place among the game’s best hitters – becoming only the third player in MLB history with 3,000 hits, 500 home runs and 600 doubles in his career. .
Cabrera is an 11-time All-Star, four-time batting champion and two-time American League MVP.
In 2012, Cabrera became the first player to win the Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 after leading the American League in home runs, RBIs and batting average.
Hailing from Maracay, a city in north-central Venezuela near the Caribbean coast, Cabrera was 20 when he made his big league debut with the Florida Marlins in 2003. The Marlins won the World Series that that year.
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