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 right fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Magglio played for the Chicago White Sox from 1997 to 2004. Then, he joined the Detroit Tigers from 2005 to 2011.
Magglio Ordóñez was known for his great hitting. He had a career batting average of .309 over 15 seasons. He retired from baseball on June 3, 2012, in a special event at Comerica Park. After his baseball career, he became involved in politics in Venezuela. He was elected mayor of the Juan Antonio Sotillo Municipality on December 8, 2013.
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Baseball Career Highlights
Magglio Ordóñez played in Major League Baseball for 15 years. During his career, he was a very strong hitter. He had 294 home runs and 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 average of .363. That year, he also had 139 RBIs, which was a career high for him.
Playing for the Chicago White Sox
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 seasons, he hit over .300, had at least 29 home runs, and 99 RBIs.
In four of those seasons, he hit over 30 home runs and had over 100 RBIs. In 2004, he had a knee injury after colliding with another player. This injury caused him to miss a lot of games. He finished that season with a .292 batting average, 9 home runs, and 37 RBIs in 52 games.
Playing for the Detroit Tigers
Ordóñez joined the Detroit Tigers on February 7, 2005. He signed a five-year contract with them. This was one of the biggest contracts the Tigers had ever given a player.
In his first season with the Tigers in 2005, Magglio got injured again. He strained a muscle and had to be on the disabled list for three months. After surgery and recovery, he returned to play in July. He quickly became a star again, hitting consistently over .300.
All-Star Season in 2006
In 2006, Ordóñez played like an All-Star again. He was chosen for the All-Star Game as a replacement player. At the All-Star break, he was hitting .312 with 16 home runs and 62 RBIs. He was a key player for the Tigers, who had one of the best records in baseball that year.
On October 14, 2006, Magglio hit a huge three-run home run. This home run ended the ALCS against the Oakland Athletics. It sent the Tigers to their first World Series since 1984. This was only the eighth time in MLB history that a playoff series ended with a home run.
Best Season in 2007
Magglio Ordóñez had the best season of his career in 2007. He finished second in the voting for the American League MVP. His .363 batting average, 28 home runs, and 139 RBIs made it one of the best seasons ever for a Detroit Tigers outfielder.
Here are some of his amazing achievements from 2007:
- 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 to win this title since Norm Cash in 1961.
- He hit 54 doubles, which was the most in Major League Baseball that year. It was the most by a Tiger since George Kell hit 56 in 1950.
- His 139 RBIs were the most by a Tiger since Rocky Colavito had 140 in 1961.
- On August 12, 2007, Ordóñez hit two home runs in one inning. This happened in a game against the Oakland Athletics. He was only the second Tigers player to do this.
Later Years and Retirement
On April 29, 2010, Ordóñez got his 2000th career hit. This was a big milestone for him. Later that year, on July 24, he hurt his ankle while sliding into home plate. X-rays showed a fracture, and he missed the rest of the season.
The Tigers re-signed him for the 2011 season. However, on October 8, 2011, during a playoff game, he re-fractured the same ankle. This injury ended his 2011 postseason.
On June 3, 2012, Magglio Ordóñez officially announced his retirement from baseball. This happened during a special ceremony at Comerica Park. In 2013, he became a co-owner of a Venezuelan professional baseball team called Caribes de Anzoátegui. He had briefly played for this team before coming to the United States.
Family and Nicknames
Magglio Ordóñez has a few nicknames. Some fans in Detroit called him "Maggs." A group of bloggers also 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 baseball draft.
Life After Baseball: Politics
After his successful baseball career, Magglio Ordóñez decided to enter politics in his home country of Venezuela. In August 2013, he announced that he would run for mayor. He ran for the office of mayor in the Juan Antonio Sotillo Municipality. On December 9, 2013, it was announced that he had won the election and became the mayor.
See also
- 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
