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Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera made history Saturday (April 23), becoming the 33rd player to record 3,000 career hits and the seventh to achieve the milestone while also hitting 500 career home runs.
Cabrera hit a single against fellow Venezuelan Antonio Senaela during the first inning of the Tigers' game against the Colorado Rockies at Comerica Park.
Cabrera is the first Venezuelan hitter and seventh Latino to join the 3,000-hit club, following the likes of Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente and Rod Carew, as well as Rafael Palmeiro, Alex Rodriguez, Adrian Beltre and Albert Pujols.
The six other players to record 3,000 hits and 500 homeruns include Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray, as well as Palmeiro, Pujols and Rodriguez.
Cabrera became the first hitter to win the Triple Crown in 45 years during his second consecutive MVP season in 2012.
Earlier this week, the New York Yankees made a controversial decision to intentionally walk Cabrera late in Thursday (April 21) game as he remained on his 2,999th career hit.
The Tigers held a 1-0 lead with runners on second and third base and two outs in the eighth inning as Yankees manager Aaron Boone opted to have left-handed pitcher Lucas Luetge face left-handed hitter Austin Meadows with the bases loaded, rather than allowing the two-time MVP the chance to hit.
Cabrera said he wasn't upset over Boone's controversial decision, telling reporters "it's baseball" and acknowledging that he'd had three previous at-bats to record a hit in Thursday's game.