Placido Polanco Career TRACKER

02/19/2008 7:39 PM ET
Polanco had tough road to stardom
Second baseman's '07 season was culmination of hard work
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- This is where Placido Polanco worked so hard to reach for all these years.

He fought to earn a chance to play pro ball, then battled his way to the Major Leagues, then toiled away to finally earn playing time. He didn't find a home at a position until 2001 with the Cardinals, and he didn't have long-term security until he came to the Tigers three years ago to become their starting second baseman.

Now, he has a Gold Glove, a Silver Slugger and an All-Star Game start to his credit. In other words, he finally has the respect he couldn't find for so many years -- not that it has affected him.

"My entire career has been like that," Polanco said Tuesday. "I got drafted in the 19th round, and the scout told me it was to fill up some Minor Leagues. He said, 'If you make it to the big leagues, you'll probably be a backup.' Not just him, but a lot of guys. It was like, 'Who's this guy you signed, 5-foot-7 or 5-8? Can't run, can't throw.'"

Fourteen years later, Polanco is recognized among the best second basemen in the Majors. A .341 batting average and an errorless season will do that. But he can't be satisfied. He has had to prove himself wherever he has gone, so why stop now.

"I like it," he said. "I like it better than just [having it handed to you]. I appreciate it."

Just about every player has an area where they can improve, and manager Jim Leyland has made a point to ensure his players stay hungry instead of marveling at what a good team they have.

Asked if there's anything Polanco can do to improve, however, Leyland paused briefly and answered simply: "No.

"If he can be anywhere near where he was last year," Leyland added, "I'd be tickled."

The main statistics are well-known, starting with his zero in the error column. In the field, his 181 consecutive games since his last error marks the longest streak by a second baseman in Major League history. At the plate, he finished third in the batting race behind teammate Magglio Ordonez and Ichiro Suzuki.

As Leyland discussed his second baseman and second hitter, he ran off a few other key statistics, these ones situational. Polanco's .366 average on 0-2 pitches was 196 points above the league average. His .402 average following an 0-2 count topped the league average by 119 points. While big league hitters batted .198 with two strikes, Polanco hit a Major League-best .350.

"I don't know if I've ever seen anything like that," Leyland said.

Those numbers helped make Polanco the toughest batter to strike out in the American League, fanning once every 21.4 plate appearances. They also help explain why, in a lineup stacked with All-Star hitters, Polanco is the unquestioned bat in the second spot. In some ways, he's an example of a good two-strike approach.

"He fouls off tough pitches," Leyland said. "When he gets behind, I think he's got a plan. I don't think he tries to do too much. He gives up a little bit when he gets to 0-2, and he kind of takes what's there."

How good was Polanco's season? When Polanco was honored with the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards after the season, even his good friend Albert Pujols was impressed, Polanco said.

"He said, 'Think about it -- that's special,'" Polanco said with a smile. "He's deep into it. I'm like, 'Now that I think about it, this is great!'"

That's still not enough to leave Polanco comfortable. He still sees room for improvement, including better shape and fewer days off.

"I think that'll push me to work even harder this year," he said. "It's over. In the past. Whether it's a good year or a bad year, it's in the past. You don't have a choice. You can't rely on what you did last year."

He'll have virtually an entire new infield all around him. Beyond new third baseman Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Guillen has moved from Polanco's right at shortstop to his left at first base. In Guillen's place at short is a familiar face in Edgar Renteria, a teammate of Polanco's for the better part of four years with the Cardinals.

The fellow Miami area residents, Polanco and Renteria talked off and on over the offseason before visiting during TigerFest. They don't anticipate any problems getting accustomed to each other on double plays and where they like to receive the ball.

"It's just a matter of a couple of days," Polanco said. "It's better than if we never played together before."

Leyland will make sure to get them games together once Spring Training contests begin, but he's not expecting a big adjustment, either. The way he sees it, they'll get the work in that they need.

In a Spring Training that Leyland calls the most important of his Tigers tenure, Polanco isn't one of his big concerns.

"If you had 25 of him," Leyland said in half-jest, "you probably wouldn't need a manager."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

:placido: he's awesome!

Polanco's errorless streak ends
Second baseman hadn't committed a miscue in 186 games
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

BOSTON -- Placido Polanco's Major League record errorless streak for a second baseman ended on Tuesday, when his relay throw to third base ended up in the Tigers' dugout, allowing Red Sox star Manny Ramirez to score.

Polanco hadn't committed an error since July 1, 2006. He went 186 games and 911 total chances without one, easily eclipsing the previous records for Major League second basemen held in both cases by Luis Castillo. Polanco had been closing in on the Major League record for errorless games by Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis at 196 games and counting.

Compared to last summer, when an error previously charged to him was reversed to him, the end to his streak on Tuesday came with no debate. Ramirez hit a ball deep to center field and over the head of Brandon Inge to lead off the bottom of the third inning. Ramirez rounded second as Inge gathered the ball and fired to Polanco in short center.

Polanco had a play on Ramirez at third, but his throw hit the infield dirt in front of Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera and skipped off of his glove. The ricochet seemingly prevented pitcher Kenny Rogers from blocking it as it rolled into the dugout for an automatic advance of Ramirez.

Ramirez's run made it a 2-0 lead for the Red Sox.

You know what's funny...I don't even really care

gawd what a nightmare!

The sad thing is if Miggy had stopped the ball from going into the dugout, they would never had called it an error.

Not again! Placido Polanco commits another error
By JOHN LOWE • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • April 10, 2008

Tigers second baseman Placido Polanco booted a grounder in the second inning Wednesday night against the Red Sox for his second error in as many games.

His error Tuesday snapped his streak of 186 straight errorless games, an all-time record for big-league second basemen.

Polanco's streak was 43 games longer than the previous record by a second baseman, set in 2006-07 by Luis Castillo of the Twins. "I think his (Polanco's) record will last for a long time," infield coach Rafael Belliard said.

Before Tuesday, Polanco hadn't made an error since July 1, 2006. Last year, he became the first regular second baseman to go all season without an error.

Polanco, who batted .341 last year, is cold at the plate this season. He is batting 3-for-29 (.103).

Placido Polanco is Tigers' overachiever (and why he'll hit better soon)
BY JON PAUL MOROSI • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • April 13, 2008

Roy Silver had read the scouting report, the one that said the young infielder was a sure-handed defender. Silver didn't know too much about his hitting, because, really, there wasn't much to know: The kid had batted .213 in rookie ball.


Then, on the first day of spring training in 1995, Silver threw batting practice to the 19-year-old Placido Polanco.

Right away, he noticed something was wrong.

Polanco was pulling the ball, pitch after pitch after pitch. That would have been fine, if Polanco had been a young power hitter. But he wasn't. As Silver remembers it, not one of those balls came close to the fence.

Silver, who went on to manage Polanco at Class A Peoria (Ill.) that season, decided it was time for an early lesson.

"Listen," Silver recalls telling him. "You're going to die out in 'A' ball if you keep doing that. Starting tomorrow, you're going to learn how to hit to the opposite field."

And he did. There was no need to tell him twice. The very next day, Silver says, Polanco took his first step toward becoming a big-league hitter.

Silver, now a private instructor in Clearwater, Fla., loves the overachievers, the self-made ballplayers who perform at a level above their natural ability. Polanco, of course, is one of them.

Polanco is not blessed with speed, a powerful bat or a strong throwing arm. But his glove and ability to hit for average -- "tools that the human controls," as Silver calls them -- brought him to the big leagues with St. Louis in 1998.

"He believed he was going to be a big-league player," said John DiPuglia, the scout who signed Polanco for $10,000, as a 19th-round draft pick from Miami Dade College.

"Not a lot of people thought that, but he believed it."

Polanco became a regular with the Cardinals in 2001 and was traded to Philadelphia the following year. By 2005, the Phillies had David Bell at third base, the ascending Chase Utley at second, and no room for Polanco in their everyday lineup.

They decided to deal him for a relief pitcher. They wanted the Tigers' Ugueth Urbina. And their wish was granted enthusiastically. Before the season ended, Polanco had established himself as the Detroit second baseman and signed a four-year, $18.4-million contract extension.

One year later, he was a key player in the Tigers' dream season. He earned Most Valuable Player honors in the American League Championship Series. In 2007, he won a Gold Glove and was the AL's starting second baseman in the All-Star Game.

Now, Polanco is regarded as one of the best in baseball at his position. He is coming off a season in which he batted .341 and was the hardest player in the majors to strike out. His ability to make consistent contact is an asset to the Tigers' big-swinging -- and, so far, terribly slumping -- lineup.

Yet, even as he entered this season at the apex of his career, Polanco is already facing a formidable challenge: staying there.

Polanco is 32, an age at which many middle infielders must begin the arduous task of extending the prime of their careers while playing a position with real occupational hazards.

His legs will absorb hard slides on double plays. His upper body will plunge into the turf as he dives for balls in the hole. His back muscles will stretch while he leans forward in anticipation of more than 100 pitches every night.

And his workdays are getting longer, not shorter.

"I see him when he comes to the ballpark," said Detroit closer Todd Jones, who also played with Polanco in Philadelphia. "It's 10:30 (in the morning), and he's smelling of Flexall 454 because he's been in the weight room trying to get his back loose, trying to get ready to play that day.

"He takes so much pride in playing as hard as he possibly can, every day. You can literally see it on his face. And after the game, when you get older, you have to stretch and ice and things like that. He does that, too.

"He does everything he possibly can to get ready, every single game. That's what the skipper likes about him. That's what we all like about him."

As Jones spoke, during an interview in the Tigers' clubhouse, Polanco was standing beside his locker, 40 or 50 feet away.

He was stretching.

"The fans don't really see that," Jones said.

Eleven games into the season, though, fans have seen a Detroit team that is 2-9 and a second baseman who is batting .154 (6-for-39) with no extra-base hits.

Polanco missed last Sunday's lopsided loss to Chicago because of lower back stiffness and, when he returned to the lineup on Tuesday, his 186-game errorless streak had come to an end.

Still, there are several reasons to believe this is merely an early-season slump, rather than the start of a statistical decline. On Friday, Tigers manager Jim Leyland said he believes the colder weather affects Polanco's back more at this stage of the season. That's one reason he expects Polanco to start hitting better soon.

"It looks to me like he's starting to come out of it pretty good," Leyland said.

Earlier this year, Leyland said Polanco's hitting was the least of his worries. Polanco estimated on Friday that his back is up to 80% strength. "I'm pretty confident that this is going to go away," Polanco said.

Polanco had his first multi-hit game of the year Thursday in Boston, and he is still making consistent contact (only two strikeouts in 39 at-bats). He had a terrific spring, with a .435 batting average that was the best among the team's regulars.

Beyond that, April statistics can be deceiving. As of this date two years ago, Chris Shelton had a .514 batting average and was on pace to hit 126 home runs. (Hint: He didn't.)

At the same time, there is no doubt that Polanco's production is crucial to the Detroit lineup. It is probably no coincidence that the Tigers have struggled -- early this season, during the 2006 World Series, and late in the 2006 regular season -- when Polanco has slumped or been injured.

Brandon Inge says he believes Detroit would have won the '06 AL Central title -- which it lost by one game to Minnesota -- if Polanco had not missed five weeks with a separated shoulder.

"He's that type of player," Inge says. "He's one of those guys that can change the outcome of a game pretty easily."

Says Silver: "As his average goes up, you'll see the whole team's average go up. In that sense, he's kind of like Derek Jeter. He sets the tone for the rest of the team. He's not afraid to go to two strikes. That's the type of guy who wears opposing pitchers out. The rest of the team can take on that personality."

Now, as they try to reverse their startling slide, the Tigers need Polanco more than ever. Not surprisingly, he has been determined to work his way out of the slump. During the winless, season-opening home stand, Leyland mentioned how Polanco had spent time in the Comerica Park batting cages after one of the losses.

During a recent interview, Polanco said he makes slight adjustments to his swing mechanics four or five times each year. This has been one of those times. Bad back and all, Polanco has been spending additional time with hitting coach Lloyd McClendon, trying to coax some base hits out of his bat.

And more than any individual achievement, Polanco simply wants his team to play well again.

"Who cares if I get a hit?" Polanco asked, his tone sincere. "We want to win games. If we won, and I was 0-for-15, food would taste better."

Placido Polanco: Did you know? :placido:
April 13, 2008

Interesting facts you might not know about the Tigers' second baseman:


Who: Placido Enrique Polanco, Tigers second baseman.

Age: 32.

From: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Ht/wt: 5-10, 195.

Pronounced: pluh-SEE-doh poh-LANK-oh

Bats: Right

2008 salary: $4.6 million.


HOW IMPORTANT IS POLANCO

His batting average since 2006, entering Friday

• In Tigers wins: .334

In Tigers losses: .287


NOTABLE

• Played prep basketball in the Dominican Republic.

• Known as “Polie” by his teammates.

• He, wife Lily, daughter, Aide Rose (6/4/00), and son, Ishmael (11/3/03), reside in Miami during the off-season.

• Toughest batter to strike out in the AL, fanning once every 21.4 plate appearances last season.

• Elected by fans to start in 2007 All-Star Game, his first selection.

• All nine of his HRs last season came with bases empty, a club record.

• Holds record for errorless streak among second baseman (186 games), which ended Tuesday.

• MVP of the 2006 ALCS vs. Oakland.

Praying for ya Polie, get that back loosened up and go get em Tiger!

We need our old Polly back!!

not sure what happened to the old one!

Polanco returns to Detroit for back examination
By JON PAUL MOROSI • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • April 20, 2008

Placido Polanco isn’t in the Tigers lineup today. In fact, he isn’t even here.
Polanco, the team’s indispensable second baseman, has returned to Detroit for an examination on his troublesome back, according to head athletic trainer Kevin Rand.
Polanco didn’t play on Saturday, and it’s not clear when he will play again. Before the game, Detroit manager Jim Leyland said Polanco’s back is "acting up."
Because of the back injury -- exacerbated by the cold weather earlier this month -- Polanco has rarely, if at all, played pain-free this season. After batting .341 last year, he has a .148 average through 14 games.

Ryan Raburn started in place of Polanco on Saturday and will play there again today.

This is no good news! Get well soon Placido! The tigers need you in good shape. We want the '07 Placido back!

swiss_tiger wrote:

This is no good news! Get well soon Placido! The tigers need you in good shape. We want the '07 Placido back!

He definitely has not been the same as last year, starting with Opening Day!

Gregor Chisholm on tigers.com
Joining Granderson on the mend is second baseman Placido Polanco, who on Monday received good news about his injured back. An MRI on Polanco's back didn't reveal any structural damage, and he could be back in the lineup as soon as Tuesday night.

Good news i would say! Get back Polly. I hope they give him the rest he needs to be back full strenght and don't bring him too early.

I say it should be up to the player. If he feels he can play, play him, if not, sit him, it's not always up to just the manager.

Another ofer, Polly just looks lost and awful.....

He sure was pissed today that he struck out.

Click here to see an interview with Polanco and an mlb.com person.

awwww!

07/08/2008 7:53 PM ET
Polanco proud to become an American
Tigers second baseman to take citizenship oath Wednesday
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Placido Polanco has been an All-Star, a Gold Glove award-winner and a postseason Most Valuable Player. On Wednesday, he'll be able to add a new title -- U.S. citizen.

The Tigers will honor the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Wednesday by holding a pregame ceremony in which U.S. District Court Judge Gerald E. Rosen will swear in 100 new American citizens. Polanco will be one of them. Before he takes his customary spot at second base, he'll take the oath.

It'll be the culmination of an adult life in the U.S. for the Dominican-born Polanco. He went to school at Miami-Dade Community College, where the Cardinals took notice and drafted him, and he splits his offseasons between Miami and the Dominican Republic.

"I've lived half of my life here," the 32-year-old Polanco said. "It's been 16 years. Went to school here. Work here. My kids were born here. They're all citizens."

His two children, daughter Aide Rose and son Ishmael, are citizens by birth. His wife, Lily, went through the naturalization process a few years ago to become a citizen.

Placido said he applied a few years ago, passed the exam and had been waiting for a security check.

"Everybody in my family is an American but me," Polanco said. "Tomorrow, I'll be one."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

:placido:
¡Las felicitaciones a llegar a ser a un ciudadano de EE.UU.!
(okay, a bit rusty, but I gave it a shot!)

08/20/2008 8:08 PM ET
Polanco sits with sore right knee
Durable second baseman misses second straight game
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

ARLINGTON -- Tigers second baseman Placido Polanco doesn't expect his sore right knee to be a problem during this weekend's series at Kansas City. However, he also didn't expect his knee to be a problem in the first place.

He has been trying to think back over the last several games to a play that may have tweaked his knee, but hasn't been able to pinpoint the cause. He knows that it has been a problem here, and that it flared up Tuesday afternoon, to the point where he was having problems simply swinging in the cage.

"I was trying to go yesterday," Polanco said Wednesday afternoon, "But I was hitting, and [it hurt] every time I went to swing."

Polanco was diagnosed with patella tendinitis, and was out of the lineup, replaced by at second base by Ramon Santiago. Manager Jim Leyland had already slated Polanco to rest on Wednesday, ahead of Thursday's off-day, and that plan remained intact. Polanco's knee was already feeling somewhat better on Wednesday, though it was still sore.

It's a rare knee issue for a player whose knees have been solid over the years. He missed time with a pinched nerve in his back in April, had stints on the disabled list with a separated left shoulder two years ago and suffered a strained left hamstring in 2005. Other than that, he has been quite durable as he ages into his 30s.

Santiago filled in for Polanco again on Wednesday, batting second in the order after his two-hit game Tuesday night.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

02/17/09 6:07 PM EST
Tigers' Polanco won't play in Classic
Second baseman looking forward to building on '08 campaign

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Tigers second baseman Placido Polanco will not play for the Dominican Republic in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, joining his good friend Albert Pujols among players who ultimately decided not to take part.

"I wanted to be here with the team and get ready," Polanco told the Detroit Free Press. "I want to do what it takes to have a good year, to help the Tigers get to the playoffs. If I went to the World Classic, I would lose three weeks."

Polanco had seemingly wavered about the Classic since last year. He said at the end of last season that he would rather stay in camp with the Tigers and concentrate on the Tigers for the 2009 season. Then last month, he was named to the Dominican provisional roster.

Polanco played for his native Dominican team in the inaugural Classic in 2006, going 9-for-18 (.500) in four games. However, he split time at second base, leaving him in somewhat of a utility role.

The 33-year-old Polanco, meanwhile, is trying to build off of a 2008 season in which he batted .307, ninth best in the American League with 34 doubles, eight home runs and 58 RBIs in 141 games. His ratio of one strikeout per 13.5 at-bats marked the best in the AL for the third year in a row.

Polanco is entering the final season of a four-year, $18.4 million contract he signed soon after arriving via trade from the Phillies in June 2005. Team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski indicated at TigerFest last month that Detroit would likely wait until the end of the season to look at Polanco's situation. Polanco will be eligible for free agency next winter.

The Dominican team has strength up the middle with or without Polanco. The provisional roster includes Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano along with shortstops Hanley Ramirez of the Marlins and Jose Reyes of the Mets. Houston's Miguel Tejada and Cleveland's Jhonny Peralta round out the middle infield.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

At least he doesn't K often, go Polly!!!

Polanco leaves game as precaution
BECK'S BLOG

Ramon Santiago pinch-hit in the eighth inning Saturday for Placido Polanco, who left the game when his left leg stiffened up. He took a Seth McClung pitch off that leg in the sixth. Considering he stayed in the game to come around to score, then played two more innings in the field, it isn't expected to be serious.

Posted on June 20, 2009 at 7:07 PM