DETROIT – Fans of the Detroit Tigers have been on the edge of their seats waiting to witness history as Miguel Cabrera attempted to earn his 3,000th hit this week.
After a game was rained out Friday night, there was a scramble to get tickets to the first Saturday afternoon game after Friday’s game was rescheduled for a double-header Saturday.
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During the first inning of the first game on Saturday, April 23, Cabrera swung his way to his 3,000th hit, becoming the 33rd player in the league to ever reach the milestone, and only the third Detroit Tiger to ever do it.
More: Congratulations pour in for Detroit Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera after 3,000th hit
Fans cheered as the historic moment happened in the first inning of a win over the Colorado Rockies. They were thrilled to reflect as they were leaving the park on Saturday.
One fan said he traveled to Detroit from Ohio.
“We were crossing our fingers (Friday) night that there was going to be a rainout, and there was, so we could be here for the game because we had tickets for three or four weeks,” the fan said. “I will never forget it, ever. It’s the greatest thing. I mean, there’s seven other people (with) 500 home runs, 3,000 hits.”
Season ticket holders Janet and Norm Dell are the ones who changed the number from 2,999 to 3,000 on the field.
“I thought I was going to drop it,” Janet Dell said.
Her husband Norm said it was an opportunity they couldn’t pass up.
“To get a call from the Tigers to say, ‘Would you like to do this?’ as kind of a nonchalant thing,” Norm Dell said. “You say ‘Yes, absolutely, thank you very much.’”
Fans were expecting the monumental hit would happen Thursday, and then again on Friday. Anticipation filled the city as Miggy stayed at 2,999.
But now, fans believe the hit happened right when it was supposed to.
“It was kind of sad because you wanted to see it happen, but then again (we) kind of lucked out,” a fan said Saturday. “It ended up being a perfect day, nice time to be out here to watch it happen today.”
Another fan said after a pandemic and years without crowds, the entire experience was refreshing.
“It really feels like the Tigers and the city is back right now,” the fan said.
Read: Detroit Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera becomes 33rd player to join MLB’s 3,000 hit club