Magglio Ordóñez - Detroit Tiger (2005-present)

Magglio Jose "Maggs" Ordóñez (IPA /or.ˈdon.jɛz/, or approximately "or-DOH-nyes") is a Major League Baseball right fielder and right-handed batter born on 28 January 1974, in Coro, Venezuela who has played for the Chicago White Sox (1997-2004) and the Detroit Tigers (2005-). Ordóñez is exactly six feet tall and weighs 215 lb.

Career overview

Ordóñez hits the ball with authority to all fields. He has good strike-zone judgment and a short, quick stroke. He pulls the ball against left-handed pitchers but with opposite-field power against right-handers. As a fielder, he has a decent arm, a quick release and good accuracy.

In an eleven-year career, Ordóñez is a .311 hitter with 247 home runs and 989 RBIs in 1392 games. He has been selected for the All-Star Game six times (1999-2001, 2003 and 2006-2007).

In 2007, he won the batting title for the American League with a batting average of .363. He also established a career high with 139 runs batted in, and finished runner-up to Alex Rodriguez in the AL Most Valuable Player award voting.

Chicago White Sox (1997-2004)

Ordóñez spent the first eight yeas of his major league career playing with the Chicago White Sox. In the five seasons prior to 2004, Ordóñez hit at least .300 with 29 home runs and 99 RBI, and reached the 30-home run, 100-RBI plateau in four of those seasons. He also collected over 70 extra-base hits from 2001-03, but a collision with second baseman Willie Harris on Omar Vizquel's popup to right field during a May 19 game in Cleveland, cost him two trips to the disabled list and two surgeries on his left knee. He finished with .292, 9 home runs, and 37 RBI in 52 games.

Detroit Tigers (2005-2006)

After spending eight seasons in Chicago, Ordóñez signed with the Detroit Tigers as a free agent on February 7, 2005. His five-year, $75 million contract is the largest the Tigers have ever paid a player. Because of Ordóñez's knee injury from the 2004 season, the contract included a clause stating that if he were to spend more than 25 days on the disabled list due to the same injury, the contract could be bought out for $3 million at the discretion of the Tigers' management.

After signing with Detroit, a minor war of words occurred between Ordóñez and Ozzie Guillén, his former manager and teammate in Chicago. Their apparent mutual dislike for each other was a contributing factor to Ordóñez's departure from the White Sox. However, the rivalry appears to have cooled, as Guillén actually requested Ordóñez for the 2006 All-Star game.

In 2005, Ordóñez's first season for Detroit, he strained an abdominal muscle during the first week of the season and subsequently spent the next three months on the disabled list, as the strain turned out to be a hernia. This caused him to rest after corrective surgery for two months following the injury, after which he began a rehabilitation assignment at the Tigers' AAA minor league team in Toledo. He returned to the Tigers' lineup in early July, and has once again become a force to be reckoned with in the batter's box by hitting consistently over .300, while batting clean-up, since his return.

In 2006, Ordóñez has returned to the All-Star form that many thought he would never come close to again in his career. He was selected to the 2006 All-Star game as an injury replacement for Red Sox OF Manny Ramirez. At the All-Star break, Ordóñez was hitting .312 with 16 HR and 62 RBI, and was a mainstay for a Tigers team that was a major-league best 59-29 at the break.

On October 14, 2006, Ordóñez completed the Tigers` sweep of the ALCS with a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, the 8th time in MLB history that a post-season series has ended with a home run. The win sent the Tigers to their first World Series appearance since 1984. Coincidentally, it also happened 22 years to the day from when the Tigers won the World Series in that year.

Ordóñez's 2007 season

Ordóñez had the best season of his career in 2007. It ranks as the second best season by a Detroit Tiger batter in the past 60 years (with Norm Cash's performance in 1961 being the best). Magglio's records and accomplishments in 2007 include:

His .363 batting average was the highest in Major League Baseball. He finished the season as the AL batting champion, and is the first Tiger player to accomplish the feat since Norm Cash in 1961. The last Tiger to hit for a higher average was Charlie Gehringer in 1937.
His 54 doubles was the most in Major League Baseball. It is the most by a Tiger since George Kell hit 56 in 1950.
His 139 RBIs was the highest by a Tiger since Rocky Colavito had 140 in 1961. Colavito is the only Tiger batter with more RBIs than Ordóñez in the past 60 years.
On August 12, 2007, Magglio hit two home runs in an eight-run second-inning of an 11-6 win over the Oakland Athletics, becoming the second batter in Tigers' history to achieve this feat; Al Kaline had done so on April 17, 1955 in a 16-0 win over the then-Kansas City Athletics.
Ordóñez had an on base percentage of .434, only two other Tiger batters in the past 60 years have hit for a higher on base percentage: Tony Phillips in 1993 (.443) and Norm Cash in 1961 (.487).
Only one Tiger in the past 60 years has had a higher slugging percentage than Magglio's .595: Norm Cash in 1961 had a slugging percentage of .662.

Ironically, the one Tiger hitting season in the past 60 years that exceeds Ordonez's 2007 season is that of Norm Cash in 1961. In 1961, the AL MVP award was given to New York Yankee slugger Roger Maris who hit 61 home runs. In 2007 the AL MVP award again went to a New York Yankee slugger, Alex Rodriguez.

Nicknames and family

In Detroit's Comerica Park, some Tiger fans sport curly black wigs underneath their baseball caps in support of their long-haired right fielder. Others at Comerica, as well as some baseball bloggers, have taken to calling Magglio "The Big Tilde" in reference to the tilde seen on his uniform. He is also sometimes referred to affectionately as "Maggs".

He, his wife Dagly and three children Magglio Jr., Maggliana and Sophia reside in Miami, FL during the offseason.

Made a plea on Chicago Spanish television for donations to the American Red Cross to relieve the thousands of Venezuelan people affected by the devastating floods in December 1999...

In 2000, he filmed a public service announcement with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley to encourage participation in the U.S. Census...additionally, he participated in the Inner City Little League kick-off ceremony at Comiskey Park...

In 2001, he volunteered to sign autographs to raise money for heart attack
victims and was honored by the Chicago Fire of the MLS as an outstanding leader during Chicago's Hispanic Heritage Month...visited President George Bush and the White House with other celebrities during National Hispanic Heritage Month...his wife, Dagly, collected toys during the White Sox and Cubs wives toy drive benefiting Feed The Children...

Recorded a message for overseas U.S. troops in 2002 through "Give Thanks America," in addition to taping a Public Service Announcement promoting the "Baseball as America" exhibit at the Field Museum and helped celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by visiting with students at Rosario Castellanos Middle School in Chicago...Won the Big League Home Run Challenge in Las Vegas on February 8, 2002...defeated Brian Giles in the opening round, defending champion Troy Glaus in the semi-finals and Pat Burrell in the finals...

Trained with Alex Rodriguez and the University of Miami football team in preparation for the 2003 season...Played for Oriente in the Venezuelan Winter League playoffs following the 2003 season, hitting .467 (14x30) with seven doubles, four home runs and nine RBI in nine games...

Played for Venezuela during the World Baseball Classic in 2006 -- batted .100 (2x20) in five games.

Highlights

6-time All-Star (1999-2001, 2003, 2006, 2007)
3-time Silver Slugger (2000, 2002, 2007)
2-time American League Player of the Month (July 2003, August 2007)
American League Batting Champion (2007)

MAGGLIO!!!!!!!!!!

Heart

Well, I wouldn't go THAT far.....

Go Maggs, win MVP in 2008!

THAT far....I would go!!

My God there are only 5 posts in the Maggs thread?!

That's like... against the law!

Love 2

!!Magglio!! Love 2

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"Contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker, it is not enough these days to simply question authority-- you have to speak with it too."

- Taylor Mali, "Like, You Know"

In our defense, there are OTHER Magglio posts in other threads that have been getting a fair amount of attention!!

We ALL LOVE our Maggs!!

will definitely echo that sentiment! Smile

_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

And now we have Magglo Junior to add to our collection!!

GO MIGGY AND MAGGS!!

although I think he looks a little more like his mom than his dad....
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

GO MAGGLIO! go team

Who's YOUR Tiger??

Mine has been and still is.....MAGGLIO!! Love 2

always has been....
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

always will be....MI TIGRE!!!
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Only Tiger player T-shirt I have... Maggs! Magglio

Even at my age I never thought I'd wear somebody else's name on my back besides my married name! But...I sure have my All Star jersey that says O R D O N E Z!!!!
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

always! always!
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

I have a White Sox Magglio jersey....that proves what a Maggs fan I am!!

Viva Venezuela!
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Those idiots! You can wear it in Florida, though!
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

GO MAGGLIO! Magglio

oooo. that's some NICE wallpaper!
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

I have added Pudge and Magglio as my Favorite Tigers! Hope I don't have to get rid of Inge, though!