Former D-back Alex Cabrera breaks 33-year-old Venezuelan home run record

Alex Cabrera's major league career was just 31-games long. He hit .263 with five home runs in his 80 at-bats.

More than 13 years after his last appearance for the Arizona Diamondbacks, the first baseman broke a Venezuelan record for most home runs in a season.

Cabrera hit his 21st home run on Sunday for Los Tiburones, a grand slam that broke the record set by former big league catcher Bo Diaz more than three decades ago (in 1980).

His wife arrived in Venezuela from the U.S earlier on Sunday, reports the Associated Press. Cabrera dedicated the honor to her.

"She gave me a kiss before the game and wished me luck," he said. "I think that's what calmed me down."

According to AP, Cabrera -- who turns 42 on Tuesday -- is on pace to become the first player to win a Triple Crown in the Venezuelan Winter League's history.

After his short MLB tenure, the Caripito-native's contract was sold to the Seibu Lions. Cabrera enjoyed an MVP season in the NPB's Pacific League in 2001-02, tallying 55 home runs and tying Sadaharu Oh's record for most in a single season. 

His record in Venezuela could have been the second historically-significant of his career.

Interestingly enough, Oh was the opposing manager in three instances where his own record could have been broken in Japan, according to a 2002 report from ESPN's Jim Caple:

"In 1985, Randy Bass hit 54 home runs and would have broken Oh's record but the closer he got to it, the fewer strikes he received. Last year Rhodes hit 55 home runs but got no further, either. This year it was Cabrera's turn.

"By the most amazing of coincidences, Oh was the opposing manager during final-week games when each player stopped getting pitches to hit. Cabrera charges that he was told Oh threatened to fine pitchers $10,000 if they threw Cabrera a strike, though publicly, at least, Oh ordered his pitchers to throw strikes to Cabrera, who hit home run No. 54 against them. He hit only one more in the final seven games, and in one game he was hit once and walked twice."

Wladamir Balentien finally cracked the Oh-code, recording his 56th and 57th home runs for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows on Sept. 15, 2013.

Cabrera, who was implicated in the 2007 Mitchell Report, was on the roster for three teams in Japan. He was released by the Fukuoka SoftBanks Hawks in 2012.