Placido Polanco
A .300 hitter, Placido Polanco provided valuable on-field leadership to the 2006 Tigers, helping them to an improbable pennant. The second baseman hit .338 in '05 after being acquired by Detroit, and sparked the club the next season with clutch hits. One of the most difficult batters to strike out, Polanco was named Most Valuable Player of the 2006 American League Championship Series.
Quotes About Polanco
"If you picture one hit he's going to get, it's the line drive over the second baseman's head. When you see that, he's right." � Don Slaught
Quotes From Polanco
"Manny Mota is like a second father to me. He not only gave me a scholarship to go to college and to live in the United States, he taught me the game and how to live. He gave me a life scholarship." � Polanco on his family friend and mentor, former major leaguer Manny Mota
Best Season: 2005
In a season split between the Phillies and Tigers, Polanco batted .331. He also committed just three errors in 122 games in the field.
Description
Stocky, barrell-chested, with a shaved head and a bright smile.
Where He Played
On August 13, 2007, Polanco played his 144th consecutive game without an error, setting a record for second baseman.
Born
Placidito Enrique Polanco was born on October 10, 1975, in Santo Domingo
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: 2B
Primary Team: SLN
Nicknames
Polly
Related Players
Manny Mota and Polanco's father, a star ballplayer in the Dominican, were friends. Mota helped mentor young Placido.
Post-Season Appearances
2000 National League Championship Series
2000 National League Divisional Series
2001 National League Divisional Series
Post-Season Notes
Polanco delivered a two-run single in the first inning of Game One of the 2000 NL Division Series for the Cardinals. St. Louis won the game, 7-5, and the series, three games to none... Polanco was named the MVP of the 2006 American League Championship Series.
Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
In August of 2006, Polanco separated his right shoulder while making a diving catch at Fenway Park against the Red Sox. He missed six weeks, and while he was out of the lineup, the Tigers fell apart, losing their ten-game lead in the AL Central.
Hitting Streaks
20 games (2001)
Best Strength as a Player
Putting the ball in play.
Largest Weakness as a Player
Power
Other stories on the Web about Placido Polanco
Polanco chosen Tiger of the Year ⇒
Learn More about Placido Polanco
Search Amazon.com for Books about Placido Polanco ⇒
Search for Placido Polanco at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
Sources used for the Placido Polanco Player Page:
"Polanco grateful for Mota's guidance" by Jesse Sanchez, MLB.com, 4/17/2006
