In addition to the Tigers Old English “D” used during Tigers home stands, new panels say: “Congrats Miguel Cabrera,” “Triple Crown Winner,” and “AL Central Division Champions.”
General Motors is adding three panels to its changing LED sign atop its Renaissance Center headquarters this weekend to celebrate Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera’s winning the American League Triple Crown. Cabrera led the league during the 2012 regular season in the batting average (.330), runs batted in (139) and home runs (44). If there’s any justice in the baseball world Cabrera should be the most valuable player when the votes are tallied, unless something ‘fishy’ occurs.
José Miguel Cabrera Torres or “Miggy” was the first player from either league to do so in 45 years since 1967 by Hall of Famer Carl Yazstremski, who was slugging in the AL for the then still Babe Ruth cursed Red Sox. The Triple Crown is rare, having been won only 17 times since 1878. The Venezuelan Cabrera – a seven-time MLB all-star player – was born in 1983, the year Yazstremski retired after 23 years with Boston.
In addition to the Tigers Old English “D” that is part of the GM sign rotation during Tigers home stands, new panels will say: “Congrats Miguel Cabrera,” “Triple Crown Winner,” and “AL Central Division Champions.”
(Photo by Jeffrey Sauger for General Motors)
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Tigers in five! By the way, I was a Freep staffer (business editor) in 1968 and saw two Series games with Cardinals, including final game. What a great team.
DCS
And so on to the World Series: Detroit Tigers have the best starting pitching in the business; some of the best hitting, excluding pitchers who will bat in the home team NL park – Giants or Cardinals; only an average old-time manager who disdains sabermetrics, (which, among other things would have solved the relief pitching puzzle sooner if Jim Leyland had looked at the J. Benoit/ J. Valverde relief record numbers for the last month.Things have been going better with P. Coke.); only so-so fielding on the corners, but strong up the middle, the price of the hitting that M. Cabrera and P. Fielder provide and by the numbers these two guys don’t strike out much, which as explained in Moneyball means they get on base or put the ball in play, exactly what’s desired in what are mostly tough pitching matches); solid outfield with an unknown effect if Delman Young indeed plays left in the series, trading a bat for who knows what on defense, and, unfortunately sometimes mental lapses on playing fundamental baseball, which is what killed the Tigers in 2006 against St. Louis, who beat Detroit in 5 games. Detroit has good momentum though, (another myth by the statistics) and a desire to avenge the 2006 loss against St. Louis, which could be easier now that Tony La Russa and Albert Pujols are gone.
One last thought: predictions and second guessing in baseball on display here are as old as the game, and in the end that’s why they play the game, to see what really happens. Play ball…