Magglio Ordonez Wins MLB AL Batting Title

Magglio Ordonez became the first Detroit Tiger since Norm Cash in 1961 to win Major League Baseball's AL Batting Champion Title. Detroit Tigers fans have something to celebrate compliments of Magglio Ordonez. Magglio sealed the title in his first at bat in the first inning of Sundays game played against the Chicago White Sox. Maggs took the plate against Jose Contreras and hit a double on the fourth pitch served him to make it impossible for Ichiro Suzuki to catch him. Ordonez has led Ichiro of the Seattle Mariners in the Batting Title race for much of the season with as small as a one point lead. Maggs also singled in another run in the top of the fifth inning.

Ordonez is the eighth Detroit Tiger and only the second Venezuelan born MLB player to win the batting crown, something his country should and I suspect is, extremely proud of. The Detroit Tiger Fans are also very proud to claim Magglio as their own. As a die hard Tiger fan, I have felt a strong connection between Maggs and our fan base, something I have not noticed or experienced since the days of Mark Fidrych.

In the third inning, soon after Magglio pounded his double into left center field, two more Latin American Detroit Tigers reached records of their own. Placido Polanco, lovingly known as Poli, singled in the top of the third inning to reach 200 hits for the season, something Ordonez had already accomplished in the weeks prior today's game. A 200 hit season was something Polanco had yet to accomplish in his career. Jim Leyland removed Placido from the game in the bottom half of the inning, possibly to protect his 180 game errorless streak, making him the first second baseman in the history of the game to play a full error free season.

Carlos Guillen, followed Polanco at the plate in the third inning, he quickly hit a 2 run homerun to give him his career best 100 RBI season. Earlier this month, Ivan (Pudge) Rodriguez caught his 2057th game to surpass Gary Carter and move into third place in the all-time games caught list. Rodriguez remains the only question mark for the Tigers 2008 roster, as the Tigers front office has not yet announced their plans on picking up Rodriguez's $13 million option. (Mr. Illitch, please give Pudge that contract...whatever it takes).

Even without a playoff berth, the Detroit Tigers players and their fans have had a great deal to celebrate and feel proud of this season. The Detroit Tigers Latin American players have helped bring the love of baseball back to Detroit and we are lucky and proud to have them all playing here. As we witnessed these four players make history and reach career milestones our love for baseball in Detroit was able to grow. We look forward to seeing all of them back in uniform in 2008. With Maggs, Poli, Carlos and Pudge the future continues to look bright.

Congratulations Magglio Ordonez the 2007 MLB Batting Champ!