Magglio Ordóñez

The kids had no access to actual ballfields. The streets of Coro were the diamond. The ball came in different shapes. Bases were parked cars or street signs. The game was continually interrupted by cursing pedestrians and honking cars. The object of the game was to win, with one major caveat: Avoid hitting any windows. Magglio Ordóñez was one of those kids. He never forgot the windows.

Ordóñez was a major leaguer for 15 seasons (1997-2011), playing for the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers. His path from Coro, Venezuela, to the majors was paved with struggle and perseverance. Known for consistency, he hit 294 home runs, had 1,236 RBIs, and a .309 batting average. Ordóñez had seven seasons of 100 RBIs or more and four 30-homer seasons.1

An unassuming player off the field, in some ways baseball’s Clark Kent, Ordóñez was transformed once in uniform. The man who “discovered” him in 1991, White Sox scout Oscar Rendón, knew what he found: “It’s not a surprise for me what he has done. I always said he was going to hit like crazy someday.”2

Magglio José Ordóñez Delgado was born on January 28, 1974, in Caracas, Venezuela, to Maglio and Albertina. He was the youngest of seven children, born to Spanish and indigenous Indian ancestry. His father “gave me an extra ‘g’ for luck,” Ordóñez recalled.3 Ordóñez named his own son Magglio and first daughter Maggliana with the extra “g” to continue the tradition.

Ordóñez grew up in Coro, a port city of 195,000 on the northern coast of Venezuela.4 The seasonal climate made baseball an all-year activity. His father was a cab driver who owned a construction business. Ordóñez encouraged his son’s passion for baseball, giving him his first bat and glove when he was nine years old.5

Here began his love of hitting: “You would throw to your buddies, and they throw to you. We hit good balls, taped-up balls, anything round.”6 Ordóñez said: “My dad always wanted me to play in the big leagues. When I was 13, 14, I didn’t like to play because I was hanging out with my friends. But my dad told me to play because I was a good player.”7 While at Coro Falcón High School, Ordóñez worked several jobs; his first was washing cars: “I make a little bit. Save the money and spend it on a movie or whatever.”8

Ordóñez’s life in Organized Baseball began when he caught the notice of the Houston Astros scouts, who invited him to their academy when he was 16. His roommate was Melvin Mora. The Astros tried Ordóñez as a catcher but cut him due to inadequate fundamentals. But Mora knew his friend had talent and reached out to White Sox scout Oscar Rendon, who had been following Ordóñez.9

The two met on May 18, 1991. “He was crying about [being cut]. His eyes filled with water. But I knew he could play,” Rendon said.10 Rendon had Ordóñez bat, catch hundreds of fly balls, and throw. The sound of his bat stood out. Rendon signed Ordóñez to his first professional contract that day, a $3,500 bonus plus $500 a month. “I took my first plane ride to Santo Domingo for the White Sox. My mom was crying, ‘My little boy is going away,” said Ordóñez.11 Ordóñez was 17 years old.

After initially playing in the Dominican summer league, Ordóñez played for Sarasota in the short-season Gulf Coast League in 1992. His play did not scream “touted prospect.”12 For the 1993 season, Ordóñez was with the low Class-A Hickory Crawdads. He was unimpressive, batting .216 in 84 games with 3 homers and 20 RBIs.13

The White Sox kept Ordóñez in Hickory for the 1994 campaign. The now 20-year-old played for manager Fred Kendall, whom he credited with making him the player he became: “He’s like a daddy to me; I like to play for Kendall.”14 When interviewed at Hickory, he apologized for his English, which he picked up from watching ESPN’s Sports Center and reading the closed captions.15 Ordóñez was selected to start in the 1994 South Atlantic League All-Star Game. At season’s end, he was selected to the league’s 16-man all-star team along with Jermaine Dye.16

A first-base coach for Hickory in 1994, Paul Casanova had been a Cuban-born journeyman catcher in the major leagues.17 Casanova held close relationships with young Latin players like Ordóñez. When Ordóñez’s hand was hurt by an inside pitch, Casanova noticed a flaw in his batting stance. Casanova taught him to hold it correctly: “Ever since he learned to hold the bat knuckle-to-knuckle, the ball has been jumping off his bat,” Casanova said.18

Promoted to the Prince William Cannons of the High-A Carolina League in 1995, Ordóñez had a good year with 12 homers and 65 RBIs. He was selected to the Carolina League all-star team as a starter.

Playing for the Double-A Birmingham Barons in 1996, Ordóñez met batting coach Von Joshua.19 Joshua had played 10 seasons in the majors.20 He noticed that Ordóñez’s stance changed constantly as he “tried to be Willie Mays one day, and Carl Yastrzemski another, Hank Aaron another.”21 Joshua worked on Ordóñez’s footwork and hands, teaching him to be consistent with his batting stance.

Joshua kidded constantly, “Cambio esta stance, tu está muerta.”22 Ordóñez hit .263 under Joshua’s tutelage; he broke out in 1997 when he hit .329 for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. “Von was the main guy who pushed me and taught me to be a big leaguer,” he told a reporter.23

Any team could have had Ordóñez after the 1996 season when the White Sox did not place him on their 40-man roster, leaving him available in the 1996 Rule 5 Draft. But no team picked him. The White Sox promoted Ordóñez to Nashville in 1997 but were not convinced he was ready for that level or even had a future. However, Ordóñez dominated the American Association, crediting his offseason work: “[L]ast year I didn’t feel comfortable. But playing winter ball in Venezuela, I learned how to hit the breaking ball.”24 Ordóñez was one of three co-MVPs in the Triple-A All-Star Game but stayed behind as other outfielders were called up to Chicago. Ordóñez fought through his disappointment, leading the league in hitting and being named MVP.

From a distance, Ozzie Guillén watched Ordóñez: “He’s not a first-round draft choice, and he has an ugly Latino name. He has to do twice as much as someone else to get an opportunity.”25 The two became teammates when Chicago finally called Ordóñez up to the majors.26

Ordóñez made his major-league debut on August 29, 1997, vs. Houston. Starting in right field and batting eighth, Ordóñez hit a bloop single off Ramon García into right-center for his first major-league hit.27 His first home run came in his second game, a two-run shot over the left-field wall in the seventh inning off Houston’s José Lima. On September 1, Ordóñez hit his first pinch-hit homer, a two-out game-winning blast, in the top of the ninth off St. Louis reliever Tony Fossas. “Sometimes it just happens,” said Ordóñez, while Fossas concluded, “[T]his is definitely the worst thing that happened in my career.”28

Ordóñez was expected to platoon in right field in 1998 with Ruben Sierra, but in spring training, he caught the notice of manager Jerry Manuel. Teammate Frank Thomas said: “If he keeps swinging the bat like that, we’re going to have a very dangerous lineup” (along with Albert Belle and Robin Ventura).29 Ordóñez was an everyday starter in right.30 His .282 batting average in 1998 was the lowest of his career until his final year, 2011, when he batted .255.31

Ordóñez strove to drive in more runs in 1999. He drove in his 50th run in his 57th game, prompting teammate Ray Durham to say, “[H]e’s an RBI machine.”32 Ordóñez’s swing was  described as “sweet as anything this side of Count Basie.”33 Ordóñez was selected to his first major-league All-Star Game. On August 26, he reached the 100-RBI mark for the first time with a two-run popup double down the right-field line in the top of the seventh during a 9-7 loss to Tampa Bay. He topped his 1998 RBI total of 65 on July 8, finishing with 117 (the first of four consecutive 100-RBI seasons) and 30 homers.

For the next four seasons, Ordóñez was one of the elite batters in the American League, hitting over .300 each season, driving in 100 RBIs each year except 2003, when he had 99. He hit 32, 31, 38, and 29 homers respectively from 2000 to 2003. The White Sox made the playoffs in 2000 but were swept in the ALDS by Seattle. Ordóñez went 2-for-11 with one RBI. Playing in the shadow of Thomas and the Cubs’ Sammy Sosa, he was Chicago’s “best-kept secret since deep-dish pizza went national.”34 After making $425,000 in 2000, Ordóñez agreed to a three-year, $29.5 million deal before the 2001 season.

In 2001 Ordóñez became the first player in the American League to hit at least .300 with 40 doubles, 30 homers, 100 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases in a season.35 The 2002 season saw Ordóñez drive in 100 for the fourth consecutive season.36

In the months leading to the 2004 season, Ordóñez was part of the framework of the failed Álex Rodríguez trade from Texas to Boston. The White Sox were going to trade Ordóñez to Boston for Nomar Garciaparra, opening the Boston shortstop slot for Rodríguez. The trade failed. When Ordóñez found out about the proposed trade, his relationship with the front office was damaged.

Efforts at a contract extension were rebuffed by Ordóñez as general manager Ken Williams was told by his agent that Ordóñez “wanted to play his free agent out and find out his value on the open market.”37 The length of the deal was an obstacle as the White Sox were set on four years, and Ordóñez sought a five-year, $75 million deal. He was 30 years old. “[T]his is going to be my last big contract and I have to take advantage of that,” Ordóñez emphasized, noting that when he turned 35, all he would be offered were one-year contracts.38 This was perhaps his last chance at a life-altering deal, and he was willing to leave Chicago to get it.

Ordóñez was due to make $14 million in 2004. The lack of an extension started speculation that he might be traded before the deadline. His durability and all-around play were not an issue as Ordóñez had started 157 games and ranked 14th in innings played in the American League in 2003 with 1349⅔ and committed just two errors.39

With a .311 average, 8 homers, and 34 RBIs in the first 42 games, the 2004 season appeared to be on par with past Ordóñez performances. But on May 19, he collided with Willie Harris on a popup to short right field, missing a game with a left-knee bone bruise. On May 25, in the seventh inning of a game against Texas, Ordóñez felt something strange in his knee on a swing. He missed seven games and was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his career. He had arthroscopic surgery on June 5 to repair a slight meniscus tear.40

After the surgery, Ken Williams announced, “Magglio’s not going anywhere. We’re trying to win this thing.”41 Going after the pennant would be worth it, even if they lost Ordóñez to free agency and received only draft compensation or nothing.

Ordóñez returned to the lineup on July 9 after missing 37 games. However, the knee was sore, and his mobility was slowed. He didn’t play after July 21; it was announced on August 24 that Ordóñez was out for the year.42 Williams said Ordóñez “hasn’t been able to do much. If it doesn’t start to improve, he may have to undergo some sort of surgical procedure.”43 It was believed that the Harris collision was a factor. What was believed to be a bone bruise and a minor tear was now feared to be a potential degenerative condition.44

Ordóñez switched agents to Scott Boras. He also traveled to Vienna, Austria, to have Dr. Wolfgang Schaden perform ultra-wave therapy surgery for edema in his injured knee. The surgery was not approved in the United States.45 The White Sox were not pleased by this action, convinced the knee issue was more serious than what the Ordóñez camp indicated. Mistrust between the parties deepened. Chicago began preparing for life without Ordóñez, who announced his free agency after the World Series ended. He was not offered arbitration by the White Sox.

The Tigers offered a five-year, $75 million contract with two option years at $15 million a year. No other team came close, due to concerns about his knee. Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski and owner Mike Ilitch were apparently not that concern about his health. Ordóñez signed the richest contract given to any player in Tigers history.

During negotiations, Ilitch and Ordóñez met in a Miami country club. Ilitch recalled, “[W]e spent two hours together and his agent said, ‘What do you expect from Magglio?’ I used to carry a ring in my pocket, and it was a Red Wings ring from the Stanley Cup championship. I pulled it out and said, ‘I want to get one of these rings, but I want it to be a World Series ring.’”46 “When you have an owner that’s committed to you and respects and believes in you, it feels good,” Ordóñez said.47 He wanted to erase the memory of the 2004 season. Now a Tiger and part of the Motor City, Ordóñez said, “I drive a Mercedes. I might have to get a Chrysler.”48

The high hopes for 2005 were damaged by an injury Ordóñez incurred early in the season. He played three games to start the season, going 0-for-10 with no RBIs when he was diagnosed on April 27 with an exercise-induced sports hernia, necessitating surgery. Returning on July 1 against the Yankees, Ordóñez got his first hit as a Tiger, a homer off Randy Johnson. He played 82 games with a .302 batting average, 8 homers, and 46 RBIs.

Ordóñez witnessed his old team win the 2005 World Series over Houston. “It’s hard to see your teammates win the World Series. You spent your whole career there and left one year early,” he said.49

In 2006 Ordóñez wanted to prove that the last two seasons, despite the injuries, were a fluke. With new manager Jim Leyland, expectations were high. In his first 119 at-bats, Ordóñez collected 9 homers and 23 RBIs. Selected to his fifth All-Star squad, he felt vindicated: “I promised myself that I was going to be the same player, or better.”50 The Tigers won the AL Central championship. Ordóñez pointed to Leyland for the team’s success: “He is the main reason we’re doing so good. He makes you focus on every game. … He doesn’t let you sleep.”51

Ordóñez hit a walk-off ninth-inning three-run homer on a fastball inside by Oakland’s Huston Street over the Comerica left-field wall in Game Four of the 2006 ALCS, sending the Tigers to their first World Series in 22 years. “That was an unbelievable moment for the city, for the fans,” he said. “When you hit that, you don’t think, you just enjoy. It was so loud. You just want to touch home and score and celebrate.”52 But the World Series ended in disappointment. The Cardinals defeated the Tigers in five games. Ordóñez went 2-for-19 with no extra-base hits or RBIs. There were no more World Series appearances for him.

Ordóñez had his best season in 2007, leading the American League with a .363 batting average and 54 doubles coupled with 28 homers and 139 RBIs.53 At season’s end, Leyland left a handwritten note for Ordóñez: “The best single-season performance I’ve seen. Love you. Your manager, Jim Leyland.”54

In 2008 Ordóñez continued to be a productive full-time player, though his power numbers began to decline: 21 homers, but with 103 RBIs. In 2009 the numbers fell to 9 homers and 50 RBIs.

Ordóñez played for Venezuela in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. In the games played in Miami, he was subjected to intense catcalls by Venezuelan fans for his support of Hugo Chavez’s socialist agenda for Venezuela. In South Florida, where he resided in the offseason, Ordóñez was the rare baseball Chavista. His teammates said this vitriol from his countrymen affected him. 

As the 2009 season began, Ordóñez started slowly with diminished power. In the spring he had learned his wife, Dagly, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. The focus that made him the player he was had vanished. “You hear about cancer and do not pay attention to it until it happens to you. My wife needed two surgeries and some mild treatment. It wasn’t easy on us. It’s your life, and that is more important than baseball. It’s family first,” he recalled.55

Ordóñez struggled at the plate. As the season progressed, he was benched and then platooned. There was talk of waiving Ordóñez if Ilitch consented. By August, Dagly was in remission, and Ordóñez’s vaunted focus came back; he batted .401 the rest of the season. Ordóñez hit a game-tying home run in the top of the eighth inning in the one-game playoff against Minnesota to decide the AL Central Division crown, but the Tigers ultimately lost in extra innings. “The weight came off my shoulders. It made me more relaxed,” Ordóñez said.56 On September 15, by reaching base on an error, he had enough plate appearances over the past two seasons to vest his option for the 2010 season.

In 2010 Ordóñez came into spring training aiming to regain the pop in his bat. “Since the first day of spring training, the bats sounded a lot louder. He looks great,” said Leyland.57 On April 29 against Minnesota, a sharp single off Carl Pavano in the fourth gave him 2,000 career hits. Ordóñez became the sixth Venezuelan to reach this milestone.58 Coming into the July 24, 2010, game versus Toronto, Ordóñez had been limited to designated hitter as he tried to heal a sore right ankle. In the third inning, trying to score from first on Miguel Cabrera’s double, he broke his right ankle sliding into home. “I saw his right foot go in the wrong direction,” said teammate Johnny Damon.59

He required surgery, but the ankle caused him problems for the rest of his career. “They have put three screws in his ankle. He’s got three tight screws and I have got one loose screw,” said Leyland.60 When he was injured, Ordóñez was batting .303 with 17 doubles, 12 homers, and 59 RBIs.

In December the team declined to exercise the option year on Ordóñez’s contract and paid him the $3 million buyout. Ordóñez wanted to return: “There are so many reasons. … Detroit is everything, man.”61 On December 17, Ordóñez signed a one-year, $10 million contract to return as a Tiger. He had offers from other teams for more years, but loyalty to Ilitch guided his decision.

The 2011 season was marked by injuries, decline, and uncertainty. Ordóñez was 11 homers short of becoming the 80th member of the 300-homer/2,000-hit club, but it was not meant to be. Playing in only 92 games, he batted .255 with 5 homers and 32 RBIs. Ordóñez was platooned.  In July he considered retirement: “When I was playing, I didn’t enjoy the game. And I play with my heart.”62 Leyland informed Ordóñez that the team was not going to offer him a contract for 2012. His time as a Tiger was coming to an end. He did rebound, hitting .365 after August 13, and played a role in the Tigers winning the AL Central Division pennant. His last career homer was a two-run shot in the fifth inning on September 1 during an 11-8 loss to Kansas City. He played his last regular-season game on September 27, 2011, when he went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. He fell six short of the 300-homer mark.

Playing in his third postseason in 2011, Ordóñez had been complaining of discomfort in his surgically repaired ankle. He went 5-for-11 in the Division Series vs. the Yankees with two hits in the Game Five clincher. In Game One of the Championship Series vs. Texas on October 8, 2011, Ordóñez took an intentional walk in the fifth; then rain caused a second stoppage in play. During the delay, Ordóñez experienced a flare of pain in the right ankle. Leyland said later that after X-rays were taken, “a situation [was evident] there that is not conducive to playing the rest of the year.”63 Ordóñez had refractured the ankle in the same location. Tigers athletic trainer Kevin Rand said that since the initial fracture was horizontal instead of vertical, “fluid pushed its way into the bone and led it to cracking in the same place.”64

There was very little interest in Ordóñez from major-league teams. He wanted to play a 16th season in the majors. The reinjured ankle and his age were factors. Ordóñez was clear that he would not accept a minor-league deal. Spring training came and went. He was home working out as Boras attempted to get him a contract. On March 25 the 37-year-old Ordóñez hinted on Twitter that he was nearing retirement: “Estoy muy [c]erca de mi retiro.”65

On June 3, 2012, Ordóñez formally announced his retirement. The Tigers held a ceremony at Comerica Park on a sunny afternoon before the game. “I thought he was somebody who could make a big contribution to our club because we didn’t have a leader at the time,” said Ilitch.66 Leyland wept about Ordóñez’s impact: “He was a good soldier. … He was a treat because he wasn’t high-maintenance.”67

Ordóñez wanted to play, but his body had other ideas. “It’s hard to retire. I’m going to miss it always, but this time was going to come. I am glad that it was today,” he said.68

Ordóñez was known for his quiet charitable endeavors. He established the $2,500 Ordóñez Family Scholarship, awarded annually to a Southwest Detroit High School senior.69 He donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross to help those affected by the 2010 Haitian earthquake. He funded a baseball field for inner city youth in southwest Detroit. The city dedicated the Magglio Ordóñez Field on July 23, 2010.

Ordóñez moved to Puerto la Cruz, an oil town in Venezuela, with Dagly and their children, Magglio, Jr., Maggliana, and Sophia.70 His son was a 38th-round draft pick by the Tigers in 2014.71

Ordóñez was a vocal supporter of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his successor, Nicolás Maduro. Ordóñez appeared in a 2009 television political commercial stating that “the best of the revolution and socialism is yet to come.”72 In 2013, under the banner of Chavez’s United Socialist Party, Ordóñez announced his candidacy and was elected on December 8 as the mayor of Juan Antonio Sotillo municipality with 52 percent of the vote.73 He served one term. “I like it because you help people,” Ordonez said. “It’s hard because our economy is 100 percent based on oil. And the oil [price] right now is low. It’s hard to respond to the demand that the people have when the economy is struggling.”74

Ordóñez had played winter ball for Caribes de Anzoátegui in Puerto la Cruz of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. He became a co-owner of the team on May 14, 2013.75 During his ownership, the Caribes have won three titles (2014-15, 2017-18, and 2020-21).76 Ordóñez’s number 33 was retired by the team.

With many of his teammates from the 2006 team, Ordóñez returned to Detroit for the 10th anniversary of the World Series on September 24, 2016. He threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game against Kansas City. “I used to come here and say I would never play in Detroit, never,” Ordóñez said. “Look at it now, I love Detroit.”77

When it came to National Baseball Hall of Fame voters, Ordóñez was not an all-time great, worthy of a vote. In 2017, his first year of eligibility, Ordóñez accrued only three votes and was dropped from the ballot.

Living back in Venezuela, one thing has changed from childhood: Ordóñez no longer fears breaking windows. He can now afford to replace them.

Last revised: January 31, 2026

Acknowledgments

To my wife, Teri, for her unearthly patience with me, her invaluable input, and her copy-editing talents.

Special thanks to the Columbus Memorial Library of the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C., for their use of their collections and archives to examine the Venezuelan newspapers in their repository.

Photo credit: Magglio Ordóñez, courtesy of Jerry Coli / Dreamstime.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted baseball-reference.com, retrosheet.org, mlb.com, youtube.com, Baseball America, Diario Las Americas (Miami, Florida), and the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox media guides and website.

Notes

1 Ordóñez ended his career with a .309 batting average over 15 seasons with 2,156 hits, 294 homers, and 1,236 RBIs. He fell six home runs short of the exclusive 300-homer/2,000-hit club. He was six-time All-Star (1999-2001, 2003, 2006, and 2007). He won three Silver Slugger Awards (2000, 2002, and 2007).

2 Teddy Greenstein, “Quiet Star with a Loud Bat,” Chicago Tribune, July 29, 1999: 4-10. In various newspaper articles dating back to 1994, Rondon’s first name has been given as Alberto as well as Oscar.

3 “All About Magglio,” Detroit Free Press, April 4, 2005: 17G.

4 A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Coro is the capital of Falcón State and the second oldest city in Venezuela, founded on July 26, 1527.

5 Jo-Ann Barnas, “Ordonez: Stays True to his Roots,” Detroit Free Press, July 30, 2006: 5D.

6 Steve Kornacki, “Ordonez Great Balance Is Key to Hitting Success,” Grand Rapids (Michigan) Press, March 1, 2009: C10.

7 Barnas.

8 George Sipple, “My First Job,” Detroit Free Press, May 28, 2006: 39.

9 Greenstein, “Quiet Star with a Loud Bat.”

10 “Quiet Star with a Loud Bat.”

11 Barnas.

12 Ordóñez batted .180 in 38 games, with a single home run and 14 RBIs.

13 When he arrived at Hickory, Ordóñez was listed at 5-11,150 lbs., a far cry from the  6-0, 215 lbs. athlete he grew into by 1997.

14 Jeff Hawkins, “Ordonez Learned the Game on the Streets,” Hickory (North Carolina) Daily Record, June 18, 1994: 1B. Kendall played for San Diego Padres (1969-1976), Cleveland Indians (1977), Boston Red Sox (1978), and again San Diego (1979-1980). He managed in the Chicago White Sox organization between 1992 and 1995 and served as major-league coach for eight seasons between 1996 and 2007 for the Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, and Kansas City Royals.

15 Hawkins. See also Bonnie DeSimone, “Ordonez: Sox’s Star Byword: Perseverance,” Chicago Tribune, March 30, 2003: 3-9.  

16 “‘Bat’: Ruben Rivera Named Best in SAL,” Greensboro (North Carolina) News and Record, August 28, 1994: C1. Ordóñez ended the season with 144 hits, 11 homers, 69 RBIs, and a .294 average. The White Sox signed Dye in 2005 to replace Ordóñez, who left in free agency to Detroit.

17 Paul Casanova played in the major leagues from 1965 to 1974 for the Washington Senators and Atlanta Braves.

18 Jeff Hawkins, “Ordonez Now an All-Star,” Hickory Daily Record, June 18, 1994: 5B.

19 Ordóñez achieved career highs playing for Birmingham in homers (18), doubles (41), and RBIs (67) while hitting .263.

20 Von Joshua was an outfielder who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Milwaukee Brewers, and San Diego Padres from 1969 to 1971, 1973 to 1977, and 1979 to 1980.

21 John Lowe, “Maggnum RBI,” Chicago Tribune, April 4, 2005: 17G.

22 DeSimone. Translated, Joshua was telling Ordóñez, “Change this stance and you’re a dead man.” The correct grammatical Spanish phrasing is “Cambia este stance, tu estás Muerto.”

23 “Maggnum RBI.”

24 Maurice Parker, “Ordonez Raises Level of Play,” Nashville Tennessean, June 22, 1997: 3.

25 Phil Rogers, “In Ordonez, Sox May Have Another Valued Venezuelan.” Chicago Tribune, July 31, 1997: 4-25.

26 Ozzie Guillén later managed Ordóñez with the White Sox in 2004.

27 MLB, “Magglio Ordonez’s First Big League Hit,” YouTube, posted July 22, 1998: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08tmGbRjqkM, accessed April 28, 2025. In the brief call-up, Ordóñez batted .319 with 4 home runs and 11 RBIs.

28 Jim Salter (Associated Press), “Newest Sox Comes Through in the Pinch,” Northwest Herald (Woodstock, Illinois), September 2, 1997: C-1. At the end of the season, Ordóñez was on the list exempt from being selected in the expansion draft to stock the Tampa Devil Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks.

29 Teddy Greenstein, “In the Running, Literally, for a Bench Job,” Chicago Tribune, March 5, 1998: 4-5.

30 Ordóñez played in 145 games his rookie year, batting .282 with 14 homers and 65 RBIs.

31 Ordóñez was named to the 1998 Topps Rookie All-Star Team.

32 Teddy Greenstein, “Quartet Shows All-Star Potential,” Chicago Tribune, June 17, 1999: 4-10.

33 Joel Stevenson, “Sweet Swing Matures in Chicago,” Northwest Herald, June 24, 1999: Sports-6.

34 Paul Sullivan, “Shining as Brightly as the North (Side’s) Star,” Chicago Tribune, July 7, 2000: 4:3.

35 Paul Sullivan, “Ordonez: AL’s Secret Superstar,” Chicago Tribune, March 24, 2002: 3:3. Since Ordóñez accomplished this feat, four additional; American League players joined him to hit at least .300 with 40 doubles, 30 homers, 100 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases in a season: Alfonso Soriano (2002),  Jacoby Ellsbury (2011), Mookie Betts (2016), and Bobby Witt, Jr. (2024).

36 With his .317 batting average, Ordóñez hit 29 homers and fell one shy of another 30-100 season in 2003.

37 Steve Rosenbloom, “Don’t Make Williams Say It Again,” Chicago Tribune, January 30, 2004: 33-16.

38 Bob Foltman, “Sox, Ordonez Try Hard on a New Deal,” Chicago Tribune, April 14, 2004: 4-4.

39 “Catching Numbers,” Chicago Tribune, March 30, 2004: 33-26.

40 Bob Foltman, “Surgery for Ordonez,” Chicago Tribune, June 5, 2004: 3-1.

41 Dave van Dyck, “Williams’ Pledge: No Ordonez Trade,” Chicago Tribune, June 12, 2004: 3-1.

42 Ordóñez played in 52 games batting .292 with 9 homers and 37 RBIs.

43 Bob Foltman, “To No One’s Surprise, Ordonez Out for the Year,” Chicago Tribune, August 25, 2004: 4-4.

44 The knee injury hindered his play causing pain when he threw and ran, affecting his ability to change directions.

45 David Waugh, “Recovery Time Said to Be Cut in Half,” Chicago Tribune, January 19, 2005: 4-5. Dr. Schaden was a world-renowned specialist in the use of ultra-shock-wave therapy using a device called Ossatron. The surgery in Austria involved shock-wave therapy which caused microfractures in the bone to stimulate blood flow to the injured area and accelerate healing, Dr. Schaden also performed a surgery to repair Ordóñez’s posterior torn meniscus.

46 James Schmehl, “Detroit Tigers Star Magglio Ordonez Celebrated in Teary-Eyed Retirement Ceremony,” mlive.com, June 3, 2012, https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2012/06/detroit_tigers_magglio_ordonez_1.html, accessed May 8, 2025.

47 Paul Sullivan, “Sox GM ‘Was Burying Me,’ Said Ordonez,” Chicago Tribune, February 7, 2005: 3-3.

48 Krista Latham, “Ordonez Super Signing for ’05,” Detroit Free Press, February 8, 2005: 4E.

49 John Lowe, “Only Pain Ordonez Has Is Chicago Blue,” Detroit Free Press, February 20, 2006: D-1. 

50 John Lowe, “Magglio Ordonez – The All-Star Pick Tops His List of Five,” Detroit Free Press, July 11, 2006: 1D.

51 John Lowe, “Ordonez: The All-Star Pick Tops List.” Detroit Free Press, July 11, 2006: 5D.

52 Kyle Beery, “Ordonez Returns to Detroit for ’06 Anniversary,” mlb.com, September 23, 2016. See https://www.mlb.com/news/magglio-ordonez-returns-for-2006-anniversary-c202969730, accessed January 10, 2025.

53 Ordóñez was the ninth Tiger to win a batting crown and the first since Norm Cash in 1961.

54 John Paul Morosi, “Tigers: End Season with 13-3 Victory,” Detroit Free Press, October 1, 2007: 6B.

55 Steve Kornacki, “Ready to Bounce Back,” Flint (Michigan) Journal, February 28, 2010: B6.

56 “Ready to Bounce Back.”

57 Chris Iott, “Tigers: Bondsman Gets First Win Since 2008,” Grand Rapids Press, April 11, 2010: C3.

58 The five Venezuelans to reach the 2,000-hit mark before Ordóñez were Omar Vizquel, Luis Aparicio, Andres Galarraga, Dave Concepcion, and Bobby Abreu.

59 ESPN.com News Services, “Ordonez Will Be Out 6-8 Weeks,” ESPN.com, July 24, 2010. See https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=5407591, accessed December 9, 2024. 

60 Steve Kornacki, “Leyland on Ordonez Surgery,” Muskegon (Michigan) Chronicle, August 27, 2010: B1.

61 Steve Kornacki, “Ordonez: Outfielder Wanted to Return,” Grand Rapids Press, December 18, 2010: D2.

62 James Schmehl, “Ordonez Expects to Play in 2012,” Muskegon Chronicle, January 12, 2012: B5.

63 ESPN, “Magglio Ordonez to Miss Rest of Playoffs,” ESPN.com, October 9, 2011. See https://www.espn.com/au/mlb/playoffs/2011/story/_/id/7081244/2011-ace-detroit-tigers-lose-magglio-ordonez-outfielder-injuries-ankle, accessed December, 9, 2024.

64 Chris Iott, “Leyland Bemoans Loss of Ordonez for the Playoffs,” Grand Rapids Press, October 11, 2010: C5.

65 Chris Iott, “All Stitched Up and Ready to Go,” Muskegon Chronicle, March 27, 2012: B4. Translated into English, “I am very close to my retirement.”

66 Schmehl, “Detroit Tigers Star Magglio Ordonez Celebrated in Teary-Eyed Retirement Ceremony.”

67 David Mayo, “Leyland Reflects on Ordonez’s Stellar Career,” Grand Rapids Press, May 31, 2012: C1.

68 Schmehl, “Detroit Tigers star Magglio Ordonez Celebrated in Teary-Eyed Retirement Ceremony.”

69 For more on the scholarship, see https://cfsem.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Ordonez-Scholarship-Overview.pdf.

70 Ordóñez met his wife, Dagly, while playing winter ball in Puerto la Cruz. Ordóñez’s son remained in the Miami area to finish his schooling at American Heritage in Plantation, Florida.

71 “Magglio Ordonez, Jr. Suspended for Drug Use,” Fox Sports, September 9, 2015. See https://amp.foxsports,com/stories/mlb/tigers-prospect-magglio-ordonez-jr-suspended-for-drug-use, accessed April 28, 2025. Ordóñez, Jr., was suspended for 50 games for testing positive for a second occasion for a drug of abuse on September 8, 2015, and was released by the Tigers.

72 Paul Kix, “The Morning According to Us: Magglio and Hugo Chavez,” ESPN.com, March 16, 2009. See https://www.espn.com/espnmag/story?id=3984227, accessed May 3, 2025. Ordóñez appeared in a television ad in February 2009 supporting a proposal by Chavez to eliminate term limits for the president and other elected officials through a constitutional amendment. Voters approved the proposal in a February 15 referendum.

73 The municipality in eastern Venezuela, population 27,000, is named after the nineteenth-century Venezuelan leader Juan Antonio Sotillo.

74 Beery, “Ordonez Returns to Detroit for ’06 Anniversary.”

75 Brian Manzullo, “Ordóñez, Guillen Keeping Busy,” Detroit Free Press, February 9, 2015: B5.

76 During his ownership tenure, the team has appeared in six league finals (2013-14, 2014-15, 2017-18, 2019-20, and 2020-21).

77 Beery, “Ordonez Returns to Detroit for ’06 Anniversary.”