DETROIT (AP) - Magglio Ordonez lofted a high fly ball to left field and when it landed, a most amazing thing: the Detroit Tigers in the World Series! Written off by the entire baseball world only three years ago, the Tigers made it official Saturday. They're back, and on the prowl.
Ordonez hit his second homer of the game, connecting for a three-run shot with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning that lifted Jim Leyland's Tigers over the Oakland Athletics 6-3 for a four-game sweep of the AL championship series.
With the crowd of 42,967 at Comerica Park in delirium, joined by fans watching from distant downtown buildings and all over Michigan, the Tigers celebrated.
The wild-card Tigers now get a week to rest and wait for Game 1 at home next Saturday against either the New York Mets or St. Louis Cardinals. It will be their first Series appearance since winning it all on this exact same date in 1984.
