Pinefarm
07-04-2009, 09:38 AM
It's easy to "take it in stride" when you make more per game sitting on the bench than many make all year.
http://www.freep.com/article/20090704/SPORTS02/907040356/1050/SPORTS02/Ordoņez+benched+but+tries+to+take+it+in+stride+
Ordoņez benched but tries to take it in stride
BY JOHN LOWE • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • July 4, 2009
MINNEAPOLIS -- Magglio Ordoņez didn't remain in the Tigers' lineup Friday night.
But he did remain calm and confident.
"Baseball is one of the toughest games, and hitting a ball is one of the toughest things in sports," Ordoņez said. "If you feel frustrated, you're going to make it worse.
"You've got to be patient."
Ordoņez entered Friday with two hits in 20 at-bats. In that span, which covered five games, he had no extra-base hits, no walks and no RBIs.
"I have a record that I've hit before," Ordoņez said. "I know I've been struggling in the first half. I'm going to get it back. I'm working on it, and I'm very positive."
Ordoņez in '07: 28 homers, 139 RBIs.
Ordoņez in '08: 21 homers, 103 RBIs.
Ordoņez in '09 entering Friday, with the season's mid-point a few days away: 3 homers, 25 RBIs.
At mid-afternoon Friday in the Metrodome, Ordoņez joined several other Tigers in taking early batting practice.
"I was working on timing," Ordoņez said. "I'm going to keep working and see what happens."
Ordoņez pinch-hit for Don Kelly in the 13th Friday night and grounded out. He stayed in the game, and in the 15th he lined into a double play. But in the 16th, he singled in the third run of the Tigers’ winning rally.
There wasn't any immediate word on how long Ordoņez would be out of the Tigers lineup.
A few weeks ago, manager Jim Leyland held Ordoņez out of the lineup for four games. Ordoņez had three hits and a walk in his first three games back, including his first homer in his last 41 games.
But then he began the 2-for-20 dip he brought into Friday.
With Ordoņez out, Leyland used an all lefty-hitting outfield against right-hander Kevin Slowey: Kelly in left, Curtis Granderson in center and Josh Anderson in right.
Overheard: Minnesota’s Denard Span had five hits Friday night. “We might throw him the blooper ball (today),” Leyland said of Span. “I’m seriously think about it. Get him out of sync. We don’t get him out.”
Home run supremacy: Granderson and Brandon Inge are having quite a race for the Tigers' homer lead.
They are tied for the team lead with 18 homers. They have been tied at 15 different homer totals this season. On three occasions, they have hit the same number homer in the same game.
Only three times have they been more than one homer apart: When Inge led Granderson, 3-1 and 4-2; and when Granderson led Inge, 17-15.
Hollimon hurting: A year ago Friday, Tigers infielder Michael Hollimon hit his first big-league homer. He seemed to be continuing his ascent as a Tigers prospect.
Now the news isn't as promising for Hollimon. He has spent all this season at Double-A Erie, and on Monday he's going to have his sore throwing shoulder examined by a Tigers doctor, the Erie Times-News reports.
Hollimon, the Erie third baseman, has been put back on the disabled list. He spent six weeks there this season with leg injuries he sustained when he ran into the grandstand fence while chasing a foul ball.
"I haven't really gotten into the groove to really do anything," Hollimon told the Times-News. "That's a part of the game. You can't complain about it because everyone goes through the aches and pains of baseball."
Holiday for Granderson? Granderson has started all but one game this season, and he has always hit atop the order or in the middle of it. Now Leyland might face a decision on whether Granderson plays today. Minnesota's scheduled starter is left-hander Francisco Liriano, and Granderson is 4-for-17 lifetime against him with 10 strikeouts.
http://www.freep.com/article/20090704/SPORTS02/907040356/1050/SPORTS02/Ordoņez+benched+but+tries+to+take+it+in+stride+
Ordoņez benched but tries to take it in stride
BY JOHN LOWE • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • July 4, 2009
MINNEAPOLIS -- Magglio Ordoņez didn't remain in the Tigers' lineup Friday night.
But he did remain calm and confident.
"Baseball is one of the toughest games, and hitting a ball is one of the toughest things in sports," Ordoņez said. "If you feel frustrated, you're going to make it worse.
"You've got to be patient."
Ordoņez entered Friday with two hits in 20 at-bats. In that span, which covered five games, he had no extra-base hits, no walks and no RBIs.
"I have a record that I've hit before," Ordoņez said. "I know I've been struggling in the first half. I'm going to get it back. I'm working on it, and I'm very positive."
Ordoņez in '07: 28 homers, 139 RBIs.
Ordoņez in '08: 21 homers, 103 RBIs.
Ordoņez in '09 entering Friday, with the season's mid-point a few days away: 3 homers, 25 RBIs.
At mid-afternoon Friday in the Metrodome, Ordoņez joined several other Tigers in taking early batting practice.
"I was working on timing," Ordoņez said. "I'm going to keep working and see what happens."
Ordoņez pinch-hit for Don Kelly in the 13th Friday night and grounded out. He stayed in the game, and in the 15th he lined into a double play. But in the 16th, he singled in the third run of the Tigers’ winning rally.
There wasn't any immediate word on how long Ordoņez would be out of the Tigers lineup.
A few weeks ago, manager Jim Leyland held Ordoņez out of the lineup for four games. Ordoņez had three hits and a walk in his first three games back, including his first homer in his last 41 games.
But then he began the 2-for-20 dip he brought into Friday.
With Ordoņez out, Leyland used an all lefty-hitting outfield against right-hander Kevin Slowey: Kelly in left, Curtis Granderson in center and Josh Anderson in right.
Overheard: Minnesota’s Denard Span had five hits Friday night. “We might throw him the blooper ball (today),” Leyland said of Span. “I’m seriously think about it. Get him out of sync. We don’t get him out.”
Home run supremacy: Granderson and Brandon Inge are having quite a race for the Tigers' homer lead.
They are tied for the team lead with 18 homers. They have been tied at 15 different homer totals this season. On three occasions, they have hit the same number homer in the same game.
Only three times have they been more than one homer apart: When Inge led Granderson, 3-1 and 4-2; and when Granderson led Inge, 17-15.
Hollimon hurting: A year ago Friday, Tigers infielder Michael Hollimon hit his first big-league homer. He seemed to be continuing his ascent as a Tigers prospect.
Now the news isn't as promising for Hollimon. He has spent all this season at Double-A Erie, and on Monday he's going to have his sore throwing shoulder examined by a Tigers doctor, the Erie Times-News reports.
Hollimon, the Erie third baseman, has been put back on the disabled list. He spent six weeks there this season with leg injuries he sustained when he ran into the grandstand fence while chasing a foul ball.
"I haven't really gotten into the groove to really do anything," Hollimon told the Times-News. "That's a part of the game. You can't complain about it because everyone goes through the aches and pains of baseball."
Holiday for Granderson? Granderson has started all but one game this season, and he has always hit atop the order or in the middle of it. Now Leyland might face a decision on whether Granderson plays today. Minnesota's scheduled starter is left-hander Francisco Liriano, and Granderson is 4-for-17 lifetime against him with 10 strikeouts.