Magglio elected to P-Nats Hall of Fame
After fans cast their votes online for a nearly month, Ordonez emerged the victor over former greats Brad Ausmus, J.T. Snow, Sterling Hitchcock, Mike Cameron, and Alan Mills. He will officially be inducted prior to the Thursday, August 28, game between the Potomac Nationals and Salem Avalanche.
The Alexandria/Prince William/Potomac franchise dates back to 1978, and Ordonez becomes just the eighth member of the hallowed collection joining Barry Bonds (Class of 2004), Bobby Bonilla (Class of 2005), Andy Pettite (Class of 2004), Jorge Posada (Class of 2007), Albert Pujols (Class of 2006), Art Silber (Class of 2005), and Bernie Williams (Class of 2004).
The Venezuelan's lone year in Northern Virginia came in 1995 with the Prince William Cannons, who at the time were the Chicago White Sox Class-A affiliate. Ordonez batted .238 in 131 games with 12 home runs and 65 RBI and was the starting right fielder in the 1995 Carolina League All-Star Game. The Cannons won the Northern Division first half title the same season with a 37-33 record, but were ousted in the first round by the Wilmington Blue Rocks.
Ordonez, a six-time American League All-Star, led the Detroit Tigers to the World Series in 2006 before losing to the St. Louis Cardinals. His gaudy .363 batting average in 2007 not only won the American League batting title but also was the highest in Tigers history since 1937. Ordonez spent the first eight years of his Major League career with the White Sox before signing with the Tigers as a free agent prior to the 2005 season.