Magglio Ordóñez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Magglio Ordóñez |
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Ordóñez with the Tigers in 2011
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| Right fielder | |||
| Born: January 28, 1974 Caracas, Venezuela |
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| debut | |||
| August 29, 1997, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 27, 2011, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .309 | ||
| Hits | 2,156 | ||
| Home runs | 294 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,236 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Magglio José Ordóñez Delgado (born January 28, 1974) is a former professional baseball player from Venezuela. He was a talented right fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Chicago White Sox from 1997 to 2004 and the Detroit Tigers from 2005 to 2011.
Magglio Ordóñez was known for his strong hitting. He had a career batting average of .309 over 15 seasons. He officially retired from baseball on June 3, 2012, in a special ceremony. After his baseball career, he entered politics in Venezuela. In 2013, he was elected mayor of the Juan Antonio Sotillo Municipality.
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Magglio Ordóñez's Baseball Career
Magglio Ordóñez played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball. He was a great hitter, ending his career with a .309 batting average. He hit 294 home runs and had 1,236 RBIs. He also scored 1,076 runs and hit 426 doubles.
He was chosen for the All-Star Game six times. He also won three Silver Slugger awards. These awards are given to the best offensive players at each position. In 2007, he was the best hitter in the American League. He won the batting title with an amazing .363 average. That year, he also had a career-high 139 RBIs.
Playing for the Chicago White Sox (1997–2004)
Magglio Ordóñez started his MLB career with the Chicago White Sox. He played for them for eight years. Before 2004, he had five amazing seasons in a row. In these years, he hit at least .300. He also hit at least 29 home runs and had 99 RBIs each season. Four times, he reached 30 home runs and 100 RBIs.
In 2004, Magglio had a tough year because of an injury. He hurt his left knee in a game against the Cleveland Indians. This injury caused him to miss a lot of games. He had two surgeries on his knee. He only played 52 games that season.
Joining the Detroit Tigers (2005–2011)
Magglio Ordóñez joined the Detroit Tigers in 2005. He signed a big contract with them. It was one of the largest contracts the Tigers had ever given a player. His contract had a special rule because of his past knee injury. If he spent too much time on the disabled list for the same knee injury, the Tigers could end his contract early.
In his first season with Detroit in 2005, Magglio got another injury. He strained a muscle and had to have surgery. He spent three months recovering. He returned to play in July and quickly became a star again. He consistently hit over .300.
In 2006, Magglio returned to his top form. He was chosen for the 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He was hitting .312 with 16 home runs and 62 RBIs. He was a key player for the Tigers, who had a fantastic season.
On October 14, 2006, Magglio made history for the Tigers. He hit a three-run home run in the last inning. This home run won the game against the Oakland Athletics. It completed a sweep in the ALCS. This win sent the Tigers to the World Series for the first time since 1984. It was also one of only eight times in MLB history that a playoff series ended with a home run.
Amazing 2007 Season
Magglio Ordóñez had the best season of his career in 2007. He finished second in the voting for the American League MVP. His stats were incredible:
- His .363 batting average was the highest in all of Major League Baseball. He was the American League batting champion. He was the first Tiger player to win this award since 1961.
- He hit 54 doubles, which was the most in Major League Baseball that year.
- He had 139 RBIs. This was the most by a Tiger player since 1961.
On April 29, 2010, Magglio got his 2000th career hit. This was a major milestone for him. Later that year, he broke his ankle while sliding into home plate. This injury ended his 2010 season early. The Tigers re-signed him for 2011. However, in a playoff game in October 2011, he re-fractured the same ankle. This injury ended his 2011 postseason.
Magglio Ordóñez officially retired from baseball on June 3, 2012. He had a special ceremony at Comerica Park, the Tigers' home stadium. In 2013, he became a co-owner of a Venezuelan baseball team, the Caribes de Anzoátegui.
Nicknames and Family Life
Magglio Ordóñez had some fun nicknames during his career. In Detroit, some fans wore curly black wigs to look like his hair. People also sometimes called him "Maggs." Later, a group of bloggers started calling him "The Big Tilde."
Magglio is married to Dagly. They have three children: a son named Magglio Jr. and two daughters, Maggliana and Sophia. His son, Magglio Ordóñez Jr., was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 2014 Major League Baseball draft.
Political Career
Magglio Ordóñez was a supporter of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. In 2009, he appeared in a TV ad supporting the government. He also joined Chávez during political campaigns. Because of his political views, some Venezuelan fans booed him during the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
In August 2013, Magglio announced he would run for mayor. He ran for the office of mayor in the Juan Antonio Sotillo Municipality in Venezuela. He was part of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela. On December 9, 2013, it was announced that he had won the election and became mayor.
See also
In Spanish: Magglio Ordóñez para niños
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball players from Venezuela
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
