Chisox73
10-15-2006, 02:53 PM
Polanco selected ALCS MVP
By LARRY LAGE, AP Sports Writer
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-alcs-tigers-mvp&prov=ap&type=lgns
DETROIT (AP) -- Placido Polanco's tumbling catch that separated his left shoulder in August led to the low point of his career.
A month later, he said his year was over.
Polanco not only made it back, he won the AL championship series MVP award and helped put the Detroit Tigers in the World Series for the first time since 1984.
"It's the best moment of my career," he said. "I wonder how my parents feel in the Dominican. It's very special."
Polanco had three hits, including a ninth-inning single two pitches ahead of Magglio Ordonez's pennant-winning homer in Detroit's 6-3 victory in Game 4 over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday.
"That guy's a pain," A's closer Huston Street said. "My pitch wasn't a very good pitch, but it seemed like he hit a lot of good pitches in this series."
Polanco was selected MVP after batting .529 (9-for-17) in the four-game sweep and extending his postseason hitting streak to nine games -- dating back to 2001 with St. Louis.
"There's no doubt about it, we wouldn't have been here without Placido," Tigers closer Todd Jones said. "For the non-baseball people that don't know how good he is, hopefully the ALCS MVP will shine some light on him. I was with him in Philly, and he was having a hard time getting some playing time because of some guy named Chase Utley."
On a team full of free swingers, the contact-hitting Polanco was a perfect fit in his second season with the Tigers.
The 5-foot-10, 194-pound Polanco said he has used the same approach at the plate since he began playing in the Dominican Republic.
"Look at my size. I'm not going to hit home runs," he said in a champagne-drenched clubhouse. "I just try to make contact."
He has done more than try in the playoffs, with a .470 batting average.
During the regular season, he hit .295 -- including .396 with runners in scoring position -- and his value to the Tigers was magnified by his absence.
Polanco separated his left shoulder on Aug. 15 at Boston, and Detroit skidded down the stretch without him. He returned Sept. 22 -- shortly after saying he was out for the year -- and helped the Tigers finish well enough to secure a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 1987.
"He's definitely a swing player," Street said. "You saw what they were like without him."
After saying, "I'm out for the year," in frustration on Sept. 17, Polanco later apologized, but acknowledged after Game 3 that he was truly worried.
"(I was) very, very concerned because I knew that we had a shot at the playoffs, and I didn't know if I was going to be able to play," Polanco said. "You don't get the opportunity every year."
Polanco made the best of it, with three two-hit games in the four-game win over the New York Yankees in the division series, then had three hits in both Games 2 and 4 against Oakland.
He had to rehabilitate his shoulder, and took a lot of extra swings in the cage before games in the postseason.
Detroit acquired Polanco from the Philadelphia Phillies on June 8 last year for reliever Ugueth Urbina in one of the many moves by general manager Dave Dombrowski that helped turn around a Tigers team that lost an AL-record 119 games three years ago.
Polanco, who platooned with Utley and started at three other positions, became Detroit's everyday second baseman right away and hit .338 in 86 games with the Tigers last year.
Detroit liked Polanco right away and signed him to a $18.4 million, four-year extension less than two months after he arrived -- and he liked what he saw, too.
"Look at the talent, look around," he said. "I can't lie to you and say I knew this was going to happen, but I knew we had a chance."
By LARRY LAGE, AP Sports Writer
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-alcs-tigers-mvp&prov=ap&type=lgns
DETROIT (AP) -- Placido Polanco's tumbling catch that separated his left shoulder in August led to the low point of his career.
A month later, he said his year was over.
Polanco not only made it back, he won the AL championship series MVP award and helped put the Detroit Tigers in the World Series for the first time since 1984.
"It's the best moment of my career," he said. "I wonder how my parents feel in the Dominican. It's very special."
Polanco had three hits, including a ninth-inning single two pitches ahead of Magglio Ordonez's pennant-winning homer in Detroit's 6-3 victory in Game 4 over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday.
"That guy's a pain," A's closer Huston Street said. "My pitch wasn't a very good pitch, but it seemed like he hit a lot of good pitches in this series."
Polanco was selected MVP after batting .529 (9-for-17) in the four-game sweep and extending his postseason hitting streak to nine games -- dating back to 2001 with St. Louis.
"There's no doubt about it, we wouldn't have been here without Placido," Tigers closer Todd Jones said. "For the non-baseball people that don't know how good he is, hopefully the ALCS MVP will shine some light on him. I was with him in Philly, and he was having a hard time getting some playing time because of some guy named Chase Utley."
On a team full of free swingers, the contact-hitting Polanco was a perfect fit in his second season with the Tigers.
The 5-foot-10, 194-pound Polanco said he has used the same approach at the plate since he began playing in the Dominican Republic.
"Look at my size. I'm not going to hit home runs," he said in a champagne-drenched clubhouse. "I just try to make contact."
He has done more than try in the playoffs, with a .470 batting average.
During the regular season, he hit .295 -- including .396 with runners in scoring position -- and his value to the Tigers was magnified by his absence.
Polanco separated his left shoulder on Aug. 15 at Boston, and Detroit skidded down the stretch without him. He returned Sept. 22 -- shortly after saying he was out for the year -- and helped the Tigers finish well enough to secure a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 1987.
"He's definitely a swing player," Street said. "You saw what they were like without him."
After saying, "I'm out for the year," in frustration on Sept. 17, Polanco later apologized, but acknowledged after Game 3 that he was truly worried.
"(I was) very, very concerned because I knew that we had a shot at the playoffs, and I didn't know if I was going to be able to play," Polanco said. "You don't get the opportunity every year."
Polanco made the best of it, with three two-hit games in the four-game win over the New York Yankees in the division series, then had three hits in both Games 2 and 4 against Oakland.
He had to rehabilitate his shoulder, and took a lot of extra swings in the cage before games in the postseason.
Detroit acquired Polanco from the Philadelphia Phillies on June 8 last year for reliever Ugueth Urbina in one of the many moves by general manager Dave Dombrowski that helped turn around a Tigers team that lost an AL-record 119 games three years ago.
Polanco, who platooned with Utley and started at three other positions, became Detroit's everyday second baseman right away and hit .338 in 86 games with the Tigers last year.
Detroit liked Polanco right away and signed him to a $18.4 million, four-year extension less than two months after he arrived -- and he liked what he saw, too.
"Look at the talent, look around," he said. "I can't lie to you and say I knew this was going to happen, but I knew we had a chance."