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DETROIT -- While most of the Tigers' front office from the Miguel Cabrera trade had moved on by the time Miggy retired last season, one key figure remains: Mike Russell.

Russell was a Tigers pro scout at the time, who was in charge of scouting the National League East. That included the Florida Marlins, whose assistant GM, Dan Jennings, was a longtime friend. It was Russell who was apprised of the Marlins’ potential interest in doing a deal, igniting the talks that culminated in one of the biggest deals in franchise history.

A year after Cabrera’s retirement, Russell is retiring, too. But in an industry that has been hit by cuts to scouting departments around the league, Russell is going out on his own terms. He informed the Tigers earlier this month of his intention to retire, closing out an incredible career.

“It's amazing how fast 38 years have gone,” Russell said in a phone conversation last week. “The number of people that have helped me along the way, that's always been real special for me, and I tried to help out some of the newer guys when they were younger. It's just been a great ride, and I'm so appreciative of everything.”

Russell’s 38 years in pro baseball included 20 years with the Tigers across two stints with the organization -- first as a Major League scout and then as a special assistant. He was a senior advisor for the last two years whose assignments included a level-by-level evaluation of the farm system that has produced the key cogs of a club on the verge of its first postseason berth in a decade.

“That's a pretty good run,” Russell said. “Saw a lot of wins, a lot of good times. I couldn't have wrote this up any better.”

It wasn’t just the Cabrera deal where Russell had an impact bringing a future Hall of Famer to Detroit. Russell was part of Dave Dombrowski’s trusted inner circle, and when the Tigers were looking at catching help following their 119-loss season in 2003, he scouted free agents Pudge Rodriguez (who won a World Series with the Marlins) and Javy Lopez (who had a 43-homer season with the Braves) before recommending Rodriguez.

Russell was also a key figure in the Tigers’ acquisition of Aníbal Sánchez and Omar Infante from the Marlins in 2012.

As any scout will admit, his record wasn’t perfect. But Russell’s work had a huge impact on shaping the Tigers on the field.

“How can a kid of a plumber from Alabama and the grandson of a brick mason have this kind of life? It's been great,” Russell said.

Russell also made an impact off the field. When a Tigers fan noted for his “Eat ‘Em Up Tigers” chants outside Comerica Park was killed in a hit-and-run accident in 2013, Russell picked up the cost of funeral services. It was his way of paying forward the gesture that Tigers owner Mike Ilitch made to Russell when he and his family lost their Florida home in Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

“I've been treated great by the Tigers and the Ilitch family,” Russell said.

Russell scouted for four clubs that made the World Series: 1989 Giants, '97 Marlins, 2006 and '12 Tigers. He was inducted into the Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame in '13.

The Tigers recognized Russell’s achievements with a presentation on the video board at Comerica Park during Wednesday’s 2-1 win over the Rays. It says plenty about Russell that one of the teams he scouted frequently in recent years, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, recognized him in kind.