Glove story blossoms for Miggy, Shohei at 1B
What's a little pilfering between friends?
Miguel Cabrera is headed for the Hall of Fame, but put him in the Hall of Fun, too.
The Tigers slugger, who is one home run shy of 500 for his career, had a good-hearted moment with another American League star who's quite familiar with hitting baseballs out of the park. When Shohei Ohtani reached first base on a single during the first inning of Tuesday night's Angels-Tigers game at Comerica Park, Cabrera snuck behind the two-way phenom and swiped one of his batting gloves.
Ohtani was none the wiser for it, and may not have known at all if not for the other batting glove falling out of his pocket while Cabrera was performing his trickery. The Angels superstar couldn't help but smile, and Cabrera, caught red-handed, politely picked up the other glove and returned it.
Cabrera began the thievery, but Ohtani finished it in his own way, proceeding to swipe second base. It was his 18th of the season, and he came around to score the first run of the game later in the inning.
Wisely, when Ohtani walked again in the second inning, he handed his batting gloves to the Detroit bat boy while jogging up the first-base line. Fool him once, shame on you, Miggy.
Cabrera could have a chance to get Ohtani again in Wednesday's game: After going 0-for-2 with two walks in Tuesday's 8-2 Angels victory, Miggy will be looking for home run No. 500 with Ohtani scheduled to start.