Although Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros (74-58) have their eyes firmly fixed on the present, the 40-year-old ace made sure to honor a big part of his past in Sunday's road win against the Detroit Tigers.

Verlander and former teammate and fellow future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera exchanged a show of respect before sharing a baseball field for the final time. Both men tipped their hats ahead of their first of two pitcher-hitter duels on the day.

The three-time Cy Young got the best of the 2012 Triple Crown winner both times, but he expressed his gratitude for the moment and Cabrera's career as a whole.

“Getting a second to tip my cap to Miggy before we go at it was pretty cool,” Verlander said, via MLB.com's James Schapiro. “I love that guy, and I just have so much respect for him. I’m glad [Tigers manager] A.J. [Hinch] put him in the lineup. I’m glad we had that moment.”

Cabrera, who is in the midst of a season-long farewell tour to cap off his 21-year career, is no longer an everyday player but obviously wanted to face the Astros ace in Comerica Park one more time before hanging up his cleats. The superstar duo played on the Tigers together for eight-and-a-half seasons and went to the World Series in 2012.

Miguel Cabrera will retire 0-for-5 against Justin Verlander, which is hardly an embarrassment. Their trajectories are no longer in line with one another, but they are each destined to converge at Cooperstown at some point in the future.