The 14,685 fans at Rogers Centre rose for a standing ovation as Cabrera rounded the bases.
“When he hit that ball, I knew something special was about to happen and history was about to happen,” Candelario said.
Indeed, he was precocious enough at the plate as a much-hyped 20-year-old that by October of that year he was batting cleanup for the Marlins in the World Series.
It has been a slow trek to 500 for Cabrera, who had 446 home runs at the end of the 2016 season after hitting 38 that year, marking the 10th time he had reached 30 home runs.
His career adjusted batting is 19.2% better than the league average, which ranks behind only Ted Williams and Babe Ruth among club members, and he won batting titles in 2011 .
Cabrera’s four batting titles ties Williams for the most among members of the 500 home run club, pending inclusion of the Negro Leagues’ stats, according to ESPN Stats & Info research.
Cabrera has won two home run titles, as well, leading the American League with 37 in 2008, his first season with the Tigers after a trade with the Marlins, and then again with 44 in 2012.
• He has 41 two-homer games and two three-homer games.
Next up for Cabrera: The 3,000 hit club, which has 32 members.
“I hope I can get to 500, 3,000 this year,” he said in February.
It appears Cabrera will fall short of that milestone, as he has 2,955 hits.
He is still signed through 2023, however, so he should get there in early 2022.