Venezuela, Ilitch on Cabrera’s mind

When Miguel Cabrera takes the field for Venezuela in next month’s World Baseball Classic, he will be trying to bring some much-needed joy to his native country.

“Our country’s in bad shape right now. There’s a lot of problems in Venezuela. It’s like, two sides, you know?” Cabrera said. “I think sport can help any country.”

Cabrera is back at spring training, preparing for his 10th season with the Detroit Tigers, and what began as a routine session with reporters Saturday after the team’s first fullsquad workout quickly turned into a more pensive discussion. Cabrera doesn’t always reveal much when talking to the media, but he has a lot on his mind heading into the 2017 season.

Venezuela is going through difficult times economically and politically, and he says he worries about family back there.

“It’s hard when you left your country and it’s hard to go back and stay over there,” he said. “When I’m back to Venezuela, I went for one week. I used to live there. Now, I live here in United States. It’s hard to leave your country.”

Cabrera has spent a majority of his career with the Tigers, and like the rest of the organization, he was saddened by the death of owner Mike Ilitch earlier this month. Ilitch’s big spending helped turn the Tigers into consistent contenders in the American League.

“That was heartbreaking, that news,” Cabrera said. “We come into this spring training a little sad because of the news, but at the same time, we come in like we need to keep going and need this for him, because he always dream about a World Series champion.”

Before the 2014 season, Cabrera signed a $292 million, 10-year deal with Detroit — a staggering commitment by the Tigers but one that meant Ilitch didn’t have to worry about the slugger becoming a free agent anytime soon.

“Every time I see him, I would say thank you for giving me this opportunity to be in Detroit,” the 33-year-old Cabrera said.

That contract was easy to second-guess in 2015, when injury problems limited Cabrera to 119 games, but he played in 158 last year and produced the way the Tigers need him to, hitting .316 with 38 home runs and 108 RBI. In nine seasons with the Tigers, Cabrera has played at least 148 games eight times — and at least 158 six times.

“You can say anything you want about Miguel Cabrera. You can say he’s the greatest right-handed hitter of the last 50 years, maybe ever,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “But the one thing that I put above everything is the fact that this guy plays every day.”