Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera collects two AL awards

The Detroit Tigers’ off-season is in its infancy, and it started Monday afternoon with Miguel Cabrera taking home a pair of American League awards.

The first baseman was named AL Player of the Month for September and AL Player of the Week for the final week of the season.

In September, Cabrera hit .347 with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs in 26 games. Last week, he went 13-for-23 with four home runs and 13 RBIs in six games.

This season, Cabrera turned in one of the quieter .310 batting average, 38-home run, 108-RBI seasons in recent memory. Perhaps his greatness has been long since taken for granted. But with all of the Tigers' key injuries offensively — first, Cameron Maybin, then J.D. Martinez and finally, Nick Castellanos — it’s hard to see the Tigers anywhere close to postseason contention without Cabrera’s steady production this season.

His impressive numbers stretched past September. Cabrera, 33, hit .346 with 20 home runs and 55 RBIs after the All-Star break. After winning a fourth AL batting title in 2015, he answered questions about his power output as he ages with another strong showing in those categories. In 2016, he led the AL with 15 intentional walks.

The player of the month honor is the sixth of his career. He last won in September 2014.

The player of the week honor is the second of this season — he won for the second week of May — and 15th of his career, tied with Barry Bonds for second-most all-time.

Barry Bonds explicit in his admiration for Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera

DETROIT -- Miguel Cabrera can count Barry Bonds as a big fan.

The controversial superstar praised the Detroit Tigers slugger Tuesday, lauding his natural ability and talents, and describing him as one of the elite hitters in the game.

"He's f---ing great," Bonds said before Tuesday's game between the Marlins and Tigers at Comerica Park. "That's it."

Bonds, who is now working as the Marlins' hitting coach, said the two have the "best relationship" and that he has enjoyed watching Cabrera evolve as one of the game's most electrifying stars.

What makes him special?

"He has an IQ better than most," Bonds said.

Bonds, the MLB's all-time home runs leader, said he knew that Cabrera was special even early in Cabrera's career, dating to when he was 20 years old and playing for what was then the Florida Marlins.

"Everybody knew he was going to be good," Bonds said. "I was shocked he wasn't there [in Florida] his whole career."

Asked about Cabrera's 2012 Triple Crown win, Bonds credited him with doing what so few have done in the history of the majors.

"I was close a couple times. Close in '93. [There have been] a lot of guys who have been close," Bonds said. "It's awesome. It's a hard feat to do. Being able to be that complete of a hitter. That's pretty impressive."

Bonds, who remains a polarizing figure because of his role in Major League Baseball's steroids scandal, bristled when asked to compare Cabrera to himself, but not because his ego was tweaked. He felt it was a "cheap shot" to even be asked to compare the two.

"That's not even fair. That's like putting us in a rivalry that doesn't need to be there," Bonds said. "I don't think that's right to do."

Cabrera wasn't the only Tiger who received praise from Bonds. Bonds also extolled the virtue of former skipper Jim Leyland, who managed Bonds as a rookie on the 1986 Pittsburgh Pirates team.

The two men maintain a strong relationship, Bonds said, which has been the biggest takeaway from Leyland's tutelage.

"His friendship. We've been friends forever. He was the best manager for me when I first came up. I had great ones, don't get me wrong," Bonds said. "But to have [Leyland] as your first manager, it doesn't even compare. He brought the best out of me."

Tigers lineup: Miguel Cabrera will start after leaving Friday's win with back tightness

Miguel Cabrera is in the Detroit Tigers starting lineup today against the Chicago White Sox after leaving Friday's game in the seventh inning because of back tightness.

Cabrera will play first base and bat third as usual.

Nick Castellanos is back in the lineup at third base after getting Friday off, Cameron Maybin will bat second for the second straight game and Mike Aviles will play his third position in three days.

After playing second base Thursday against the Yankees and third base Friday vs. Chicago, Aviles will replace Justin Upton in left field.

Mike Pelfry will be on the mound for the Tigers in search of his first victory this season.

Detroit Tigers1. Ian Kinsler, 2B
2. Cameron Maybin, CF
3. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
4. Victor Martinez, DH
5. J.D. Martinez, RF
6. Nick Castellanos, 3B
7. James McCann, C
8. Mike Aviles, LF
9. Jose Iglesias, SS
Pitcher: RH Mike Pelfrey

Chicago White Sox1. Adam Eaton, RF
2. Tyler Saladino, SS
3. Todd Frazier, 3B
4. Jose Abreu, 1B
5. J.B. Shuck, CF
6. Brett Lawrie, 2B
7. Jimmy Rollins, DH
8. Jason Coats, LF
9. Dioner Navarro, C
Pitcher: LH Chris Sale.

Detroit Tigers: Are the Fans Loyal?

The Detroit Tigers have not won a World Series since 1984. This is way too long a time between championships, yet the fans of the players in the Old English D have stuck with the team through thick and thin.

This loyalty has been officially recognized. Craig Calcaterra with NBC Sports has reported that the St. Louis Cardinals have the most loyal fans in the MLB. Detroit Tigers fans finished in the fourth spot in 2015 and 2016. Is this an accurate ranking? And, how is loyalty measured?

The organization, Brand Keys, that ranked teams is known for its ability to analyze customer loyalty. This consulting company has worked with recognizable brands from all industries, evaluating their customer loyalty and how to improve it. By using this consultant, companies can decide where to put their money to grow their customer base.

It is important to remember that even though baseball is a fantastic game, it is a business. Mike Ilitch may love baseball, but he owns the team to make money. And, fortunately for him, Detroit Tigers are big business with loyal fans.

The consulting firm used four factors to determine loyalty. They included “(1) Pure Entertainment; (2) Authenticity; (3) Fan Bonding; and (4) History and tradition.” In their findings, the Cardinals were the top team. Second and third belonged to the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants respectively. The Tigers were fourth and the Washington Nationals were fifth.

Should the Tigers be in a higher spot? I think so.

As a Tigers fan since the early 80’s, I can honestly say that I am satisfied with the position in the top five. The Tigers do offer some outstanding entertainment, especially considering the hits from Miguel Cabrera, the pitching ups and down from Justin Verlander, and the emotions of players like Ian Kinsler,Victor Martinez, and Jose Iglesias. Even when the team plays horribly, it is hard to turn away because fans never know what is going to come next. 

The Tigers do appear to a thoroughly authentic group of men who appear to love the game. They are who they are and fans can see it. When they are having fun, it is obvious. It is also obvious when they are all in a funk. The show is real.

As a social media junky, it is safe to say that the Tigers do work hard on fan bonding. Look no farther than Verlander’s Instagram account. Daniel Norris is another who regularly engages with fans. Remember the game where Miguel Cabrera gave his bat to the opposing fan last year? And J.D. Martinez is always on hand to sign an autograph. The players are open books and they know they need the fans, with the recent exception of Joe Nathan.

Lastly, the Tigers are full of tradition. Other than those odd uniforms from the 1980s, the Tigers have one of the most recognizable and classic uniforms in the game. The Hall of Fame members like Ty Cobb, Hal Newhouser,Hank Greenberg, and all the rest defined baseball in their generations. At the mention of “Al Kaline“, heads turn to see the Tiger great. Even the radio voices are iconic – Ernie Harwell, George Kell, Dan Dickerson.

It is easy to be a fan of teams like the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants. They have won the World Series in the past decade. The challenge is to be a fan of a team that hasn’t.