Magglio Ordonez To Retire
DETROIT (97.1 The Ticket) - After spending the last 6 months without a team, former Detroit Tigers' All-Star slugger Magglio Ordoñez will retire from Major League Baseball.
The Tigers on Tuesday said their longtime right fielder will officially announce his retirement in a special pregame ceremony on Sunday, June 3 at Comerica Park.
Ordoñez played the final seven seasons of his 15-year major league career with the Tigers and will forever be remembered for belting one of the most memorable home runs in the franchise's 112-year history.
His walk-off, three-run home run off Oakland's Huston Street in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on October 14, 2006 at Comerica Park lifted the Tigers to a 6-3 victory and a four-game sweep of the Athletics to propel the Tigers to the 2006 World Series.
Ordoñez batted .312 (989x3171) with 186 doubles, 107 home runs and 533 RBI in 847 games with the Tigers. He was named to the American League All-Star squad in both 2006 and 2007, won an American League Silver Slugger Award in 2007 and batted .363 in 2007 to win the American League batting title, becoming the first Tigers player to win the batting title since Norm Cash in 1961.
In addition to his two All-Star selections with the Tigers, he was named to the team four times with the Chicago White Sox (1999-2001, 2003) and also won two American League Silver Slugger Awards with the White Sox (2000, 2002). He remains one of the greatest Venezuelan-born players in the history of baseball, ranking second with a .309 career batting average and 294 home runs, while he is third with 1,236 RBI, fourth with 426 doubles and sixth with 2,156 hits.
The Tigers will hold a pregame ceremony on Sunday to honor Ordoñez and his contributions to the Detroit Tigers. Dan Dickerson will emcee the ceremony, which will begin on the field at approximately 12:40 p.m. Ordoñez and his family will take part in the ceremony.
Fans are encouraged to come out to Comerica Park early to pay tribute to Ordoñez.
