A depressing conclusion: Ordonez's latest injury may end career

Magglio Ordonez was just starting to enjoy the game again. Now, his career may be over. (Photo: AP/Duane Burleson)

In the heart of the summer, Magglio Ordonez pondered retirement. “Three or four months ago, I thought about going home,” the 37-year-old Detroit Tigers outfielder said. “My ankle wasn’t responding. I wasn’t playing the way I wanted to play. I wasn’t playing regularly. It was tough.”

Then his right ankle began to respond. He broke it in July of 2010 and needed surgery, but it finally healed up and was good to go. He was optimistic about being a Detroit Tiger again, and had the drive to help his team. And he was soon hitting line-drives, spraying balls not out of the park but into the gaps. In 13 September games he hit .419, and kept on collecting hits in the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees, going 5-13. He was a big part of their success, still imposing and dangerous even at his old age.

In his prime, Ordonez flew under the radar as one of the better run-producers in the game. He drove in 127 runs with the Chicago White Sox in 2000 and 135 in 2002, and he had a total of 590 from 1999 to 2003. And he didn’t even have his best year during this stretch.

That came in 2007 with the Tigers–a year after he hit the home-run off Oakland A’s closer Houston Street that sent Detroit to the World Series. He notched career highs in batting average (an AL-leading .343), on base percentage (.434), rbi’s (139, the highest by a Tiger since 1961), hits (216), doubles (54), and runs scored (117). He finished second to Alex Rodriguez in the MVP voting. Ordonez was simply tremendous.

As documented by Baseball Guys’ Ray Flowers, six players in Major League Baseball hit over .300 with 275 homers, 1,200 rbi’s, and 1,000 runs scored from 1997-2011. Yes, Ordonez was one of them, joining Vladimir Guerrero, Chipper Jones, Todd Helton, Manny Ramirez, and Albert Pujols. Coming across this statistic, it was hard not to be stunned. Magglio Ordonez, really? This company, his plate discipline, six All-Star teams and three Silver Slugger awards exemplify just how underrated he was.

He could have put up even better numbers if not for injury. His past two seasons have been cut short, as were his 2004 and 2005 seasons; over those four years, he played in only 310 of 648 games. Despite his set-backs, Ordonez’s accomplishments cannot be overlooked.

The latest set-back, however, may end his career. The ankle that had nearly forced him into retirement mid-season broke again during Saturday’s rain-soaked loss in Game 1 of the ALCS. It is hard to see him trying to come back yet again at his age, and he doesn’t have a commitment to fill next season as an impending free-agent.

Not long ago, he wanted hang up his spikes. Now, he may have to even if he doesn’t want to. If Magglio Ordonez has played his last baseball game, what an unfortunate end to a quietly incredible career.