By ANTHONY ANDRO
FOXSportsSouthwest.com
ARLINGTON, Texas — The only person standing between Detroit's Miguel Cabrera and a Triple Crown is pulling for the Tigers slugger to be the first to achieve the milestone since 1967.
That doesn't mean Josh Hamilton plans to go into a power funk though.
Cabrera started the day leading the American League in batting average and RBI. He's second to Hamilton in homers — Hamilton's 43rd Monday broke a tie.
"He's got to hit more home runs," Hamilton said. "I'm not going to stop playing. I'm rooting for him but at the same time I'm going out and I'm not not trying to hit home runs. I'm just playing the game. He's so close I'd definitely like to see it happen."
The last Triple Crown winner was Boston's Carl Yastrzemski. One thing that could help Cabrera is if the Rangers decide to rest Hamilton if they clinch the AL West. Hamilton, who missed five games because of ocular keratitis, said he thinks his timing is good enough that if he was to rest it wouldn't hurt him.
Rest doesn't figure to be in the cards for Cabrera, whose Tigers are battling Chicago for the AL Central title. If Cabrera passes Hamilton, he wouldn't mind.
"I'm excited about it," Hamilton said. "As a fan of the game I enjoy watching other guys succeed at what they do. I asked somebody the other night if Miggy had ever won an MVP and they said no. What a great thing it would be for him to accomplish that and the Triple Crown in the same season. It would be pretty special."
