Life after Miguel Cabrera officially begins for the Detroit Tigers, who gather for Spring Training this week.
As mid-February quickly approaches, Spring Training beckons for the Detroit Tigers. This week marks the arrival of team pitchers and catchers in Lakeland, Florida, with the first full-squad workout scheduled just one week from today. This upcoming Spring Training holds particular significance as it will be the first without Miguel Cabrera since the 2008 season, leaving behind sizable shoes to fill. However, current team members remain unfazed about navigating life in the wake of Cabrera’s retirement.
Life after Miguel Cabrera officially starts for the Detroit Tigers
There’s simply no replacing Cabrera in the eyes of starting pitcher Tarik Skubal.
“First off, you can’t replace that,” Skubal said. “Miguel Cabrera was arguably one of the best hitters of all-time, and he played for the Tigers it felt like forever. But I do like the culture that we have. I like the guys we have coming back.
“I loved our team last year. I thought it was a ton of fun and we’re all rowing the boat in the same direction, which is what you want. Yeah, we’re young, but we all kind of came up from the minor leagues together, so it feels like we have more experience than what our date of birth says.”
For Riley Greene, he’s not worried about a change in team chemistry in Cabrera’s absence.
“Miggy is gone, which sucks,” he said. “He was a big part of that team (last season). But we still have pretty much the same group. I thought our team chemistry really took a jump last season and it’s just gotten better and better.
“Team chemistry is hard to find and once you have it, you want to keep it and keep building off it. A lot of winning teams have that team chemistry. And we’ve got it.”
Both Skubal and Greene stand as integral components of the Tigers roster, poised to undertake significant roles in the team’s success throughout 2024.
TL;DR (too long didn’t read)
- Detroit Tigers players are set to report to Lakeland, Florida to begin Spring Training
- This marks the first Spring Training since 2008 that will not feature Miguel Cabrera, who retired following the 2023 season, as a member of the team
- Detroit Tigers players reflect on the absence of Cabrera and their prospects of success in 2024.
Bottom Line: A new era of Tigers baseball in 2024
The transformative impact of successful sports teams on Detroit has been evident, notably with the Detroit Lions clinching their first division win in thirty years and the Detroit Red Wings’ progress under the famed “Yzerplan”.
Anticipate the Tigers joining this resurgence in the 2024 season under the direction of A.J. Hinch, solidifying Detroit’s narrative of sports renaissance
Paul Tyler
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