Matthew Stafford returned to Detroit to see Miguel Cabrera’s 3,000th hit

Matthew Stafford was at Comerica Park to root on Miguel Cabrera for his 3,000th hit.

Super Bowl champion quarterback Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams was at Comerica Park in person to see Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera get career hit No. 3,000.

Prior to this past NFL season, Stafford had spent his entire professional career out of Georgia quarterbacking the Detroit Lions. Though he was destined to be a franchise quarterback since growing up in Highland Park, Texas, Stafford is a baseball fan through and through. He respects the game for the lessons you can apply to life in dealing with failure and overcoming adversity.

Here he is in the Tigers broadcasting booth talking about the big moment for Detroit baseball.

Matthew Stafford watches Miguel Cabrera get to 3,000 hits at Comerica Park

While Stafford and Cabrera became champions elsewhere, they will always have that Detroit connection to tie them together. For years, they have been ambassadors to all things Detroit sports. Though the city has not had a great go of it recently on the professional side of things, perhaps Motor City Dan Campbell, Cade Cunningham and The Yzerplan can save this metropolis?

As Cabrera’s illustrious career is clearly winding down, Stafford has gotten a second wind in the latter third of his by switching NFC allegiances. Though he is not anything close to the first-ballot lock Cabrera is, the 30-something gunslinger still has time to build on a football legacy worthy of being on display forever in Canton. Will Stafford get his bronze bust like Cabrera gets his plaque?

Ultimately, there are not two athletes in Detroit who have meant as much to the city in the last decade and change than Cabrera and Stafford. Though neither brought the city a championship, few would ever argue that they were not champions at heart. While they got their rings in Miami and in Los Angeles, it is hard to think about Detroit spots in the 2010s and not think of these two.

It was awesome to see Cabrera get to 3,000 and having Stafford in attendance was even better.