Magglio Ordóñez

Magglio Ordóñez Delgado
/Or-DOHN-yez/

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 215 lb.

• Debut August 29, 1997
• Final Game September 27, 2011
• Born January 28, 1974 in Caracas, Distrito Capital, Venezuela

BR page

Biographical Information

Magglio Ordonez (pronounced /Or-DOHN-yez/) was a good-hitting outfielder who had his best major league season in 2007, winning the American League batting title.

In the minors for six years (1992-1997) he hit over .300 only once, in 1997, although he typically showed some moderate power. He was left unprotected by the Chicago White Sox after the 1996 season, and could have been selected by any team in the 1996 Rule V Draft. He was not, and soon became a star in Chicago.

He broke in during the 1997 season, became a regular in 1998, and was a key player on the division-winning 2000 team. After injuries in 2004, he signed as a free agent with the Detroit Tigers, thus missing the championship season of the 2005 Chicago White Sox, but playing on the 2006 Tigers team that went to the World Series.

Through 2005, none of the most similar players to Ordonez (according to the similarity scores method, and through age 31) were in the Hall of Fame, but they were a prominent group, including Wally Berger, Fred Lynn, Dave Parker and Tony Oliva. His play in 2006 was consistent with his previous career, and the same four players remained high on the list of most similar players to Ordonez. After his excellent 2007 season, the similarity scores method showed a couple of Hall of Famers on his list, but they were not in the top four most similar players.

In 2001-2003 his Adjusted OPS+ was between 135-152 each year. He dropped off during 2004-2006, with scores in the 110-113 range, due at least partly to injuries. In 2007, he recovered, with the best score in his career.

On August 12, 2007, Ordóñez hit two home runs in a 8-run 2nd inning against Dallas Braden. He joined Al Kaline as the only members of the Detroit Tigers to hit two homers in a single frame. Ordonez holds the record for most hits in a season without hitting a triple. In 2007, he collected 216 hits - not one of which went for three bases.

Magglio continued to play full time for the Tigers in 2008 and 2009, and both years hit over .300. He hit 21 homers and drove in 103 runs the first season, but saw his power drop to 24 doubles and 9 homers in 2009, showing that age was catching up with him. In 2010, he hit .303, but was limited to 84 games. His power stroke recovered a bit, with 12 homers and 59 RBI, both numbers higher than what he had amassed in full-time play the following season. His progress was slowed by a broken ankle sustained in July, however, and the injury would continue to bother him the following season.

He continued to miss chunks of playing time in 2011, playing 92 games during which he went to bat 329 times. His .255 batting average was by far the worst of his career (he had hit .282 in 1998, his first full season), and his 10 doubles and 5 homers were very few for a corner infielder; he did finish the season on a high though, hitting .365 after August 13th, coinciding with the team's late-season surge. He finished the regular season on an 18-game hitting streak, which would turn out to be the longest ever by a player finishing his major league career; Ed Delahanty had previously held the record, hitting safely in his final 16 games before meeting a tragic and untimely end. The Tigers won the AL Central title and Magglio got to play in the postseason for the third and final time. In what was his last hurrah on the field, he went 5 for 11 with a double as the Tigers upset the New York Yankees in the ALDS, then drew a walk in 3 plate appearances in his only game in the 2011 ALCS facing the Texas Rangers.

A free agent after the 2011 season, he found little interest for his services, and on March 26, 2012, with spring training winding down, he advised his fans that he was "very close to retirement". That came a few days after teammate and countryman Carlos Guillen had announced his own retirement from the Tigers, turning the page on an era that had seen the Bengals rise from worst team in baseball to a power in the AL Central. On June 3rd, Ordonez officially announced his retirement and was honored before that day's Tigers game against the Yankees.

In 2013, he announced his candidacy as mayor for Puerto la Cruz, Anzoátegui on the Socialist Party ticket. He became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2017 but received only three votes and was dropped off the ballot. He has also been owner of the Caribes de Anzoátegui.

Notable Achievements

• 1997 MVP American Association Nashville Sounds
• 1998 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
• 6-time AL All-Star (1999-2001, 2003, 2006 & 2007)
• 3-time AL Silver Slugger Award Winner (2000, 2002 & 2007)
• AL Batting Average Leader (2007)
• AL Doubles Leader (2007)
• 20-Home Run Seasons: 8 (1999-2003 & 2006-2008)
• 30-Home Run Seasons: 4 (1999-2002)
• 100 RBI Seasons: 7 (1999-2002 & 2006-2008)
• 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 4 (1999, 2000, 2002 & 2007)
• 200 Hits Seasons: 1 (2007)