Tigers' Miguel Cabrera, at age 39, selected to his 12th All-Star team

Chicago — The last thing Miguel Cabrera wanted, and the first thing he would have refused, was to be part of some kind of gimmick or to be extended some kind of charitable gift.

A call from commissioner of baseball Rob Manfred assured him it was neither.

"He called me and he said, 'Do you want to be part of the All-Star Game?'" Cabrera said before the game Friday. "I said, 'Yes. It would be a great honor.' It was a surprise."

Manfred on Friday named Cabrera and his long-time friend Albert Pujols the first ever legacy selections to the American League and National League All-Star teams, respectively.  

They were selected to the teams in addition to the 32 players on each side who were either voted in or will be selected by the managers. 

The legacy clause is new, written into the new collective bargaining agreement. It gives the commissioner the power to add an extra player to each roster in recognition of a player’s career achievement.

“I am delighted that Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera have agreed to participate in the All-Star Game," Manfred said in a statement. "Albert and Miguel are two of the most accomplished players of their generation. They have also represented the baseball traditions of the Dominican Republic and Venezuela with excellence for the last two decades. 

"Albert and Miguel are two all-time greats whose achievements warrant this special recognition.”

For the 39-year-old Cabrera, it will be his 12th All-Star appearance and his first since 2016.

"It means a lot," he said. "It's a great honor to be part of the All-Star Game. I feel like every All-Star Game is different. You take advice from all the great players that are going to be there. 

"It's really great. They gave me this honor and I am real proud of that. I look forward to getting there."  

Being the inaugural legacy pick with Pujols was the icing on the cake for Cabrera.

"That's really special," he said. "I've always looked up to Albert. I've always followed his career. He's one of the best hitters I've ever seen. To be part of this together with him, it's going to be great."

The truth of it is, Cabrera most likely would have been selected to the team based on his performance in the first half of the season. Going into play Friday, his .308 batting average was eighth in the American League.

“I think it was an incredible gesture by the commissioner to have the game's best there, past and present," Tigers manager AJ Hinch said. "That's what the game is all about. It is a great legacy award for both Miggy and Pujols, two guys that have dominated their era.

"But for Miggy, he could've made the All-Star team in a variety of ways. For him to represent us and be a big part of a special day is pretty cool."

Cabrera is hitting singles, yes, but those singles are producing runs — something the Tigers until recently struggled mightily to do. He’s hitting .386 with runners in scoring position, with 28 RBIs and a .909 OPS.

Last season he hit the 500-home run plateau. Earlier this season, he collected his 3,000th hit and 600th double. He’s one of three players to hit all three of those markers, joining Pujols and Hank Aaron.

"For the commissioner to call Miggy, that's a great step," Hinch said. "Miggy has a lot of pride and he wants everything done the right way. Miggy was pretty emotional when we talked about it. Just really happy for his family. 

"And he's proud of playing well. He's contributing and doing a lot of great things. The commissioner recognized him not only for what he's done this year, but his whole career and what he's meant to the game of baseball."

Cabrera's son Christopher is 10 years old now and old enough to understand and appreciate his father's place in the game. Being able to take him to Dodger Stadium, watch the Home Run Derby together on the field, let him mingle with all the stars of the game -- Cabrera is looking forward to those moments as much as anything else.

"I am glad for him to be a part of it," Cabrera said. "He understands more now what I do, what we do. He's excited, too. My whole family is excited. They can't wait to be there."

The Tigers will have another representative selected to play in the game, most likely a reliever. 

"You can take your pick in the bullpen," Hinch said. "We've got a number of guys who would be honored to get an inning."

Gregory Soto, Michael Fulmer, Alex Lange, Joe Jimenez and Andrew Chafin would all be worthy of consideration. 

"If they call me, that's great," said Soto, who represented the Tigers in the game last year. "If it's somebody else, one of my teammates that gets the selection, congratulations to them."

The All-Star Game will be played at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, July 19.

cmccosky@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @cmccosky