I have long maintained the belief that Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz would one day be inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. While recent seasons have erased most doubts in regard to that, it was not that long ago that it was, at best, an uncertainty. He has been linked to steroids in the past and while those links have never been proven or substantiated in any way, they are sure to give some voters pause. He struggled at the plate in 2008 and 2009, giving some people reason to believe that his career was at its end. He still has yet to reach five hundred home runs, a significant milestone for a power hitter who has no fielding stats worth mentioning to supplement his production at the plate.
Each of those arguments may have held water at some point, but by now there are counter points to each one. The rumors linking him to the steroid scandal never amounted to anything. After finishing 2009 with a batting average of .238, the worse than his average over any other full season in his career, he came back the next year to slug 32 home runs and knock in 102 runs. He has not finished a seaosn with an average lower than .270 since (although he may this year, as he currently holds a .264 batting average). And while he still has yet to hit his 500th homer, he is only 44 away and will likely get there if he can play just two more seasons.
Even if he fails to join the 500 Club prior to calling it a career, his accomplishments this season have, once and for all, made him a lock to be enshrined in Cooperstown. Before we get into the new additions to his resume, lets take a look back at what the man known as Big Papi has done over his years with the Red Sox.
Forever legendary are Ortiz’s heroics during the 2004 American League Championship Series. Down three games to none to the New York Yankees, the Sox were finished and everyone knew it except Ortiz and his teammates. In game four, a home run by Ortiz in extra innings gave Boston its first win, and the comeback was on. Ortiz also won game five with a single in the 14th inning. The Sox won four consecutive games to become the only team ever to come back from a three-games-to-none deficit and make it to the World Series. Ortiz was named MVP of the ALCS and the Sox went on to sweep the St. Louis Cardinals in the 100th World Series and capture the team’s first title since 1918.
Ortiz recaptured some of that magic once again last season. His fiery words in the dugout inspired the Sox’ comeback in the 2013 ALCS, much like his words following the Boston Marathon bombing inspired the season, and his performance in the World Series, in which he had the second highest batting average (.688) and on-base percentage (.760) in World Series history en route to being names series MVP, gave the Sox their third title in the last 10 years. Ortiz is the only player remaining from the 2004 championship squad, and is the only player to play for all three of the Red Sox’ most recent title-capturing teams.
This season, however, has laid to rest any remaining doubts about Ortiz’s qualifications for the Hall of Fame. His 35 home runs this season represent his highest total in any single season since he hit 35 in 2007. Clearly rumors of his decline are somewhat exaggerated. He now has 466 career home runs and 408 with the Red Sox. He trails only Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski on Boston’s all-time list for home runs. He became just the sixth player age 38 or older in MLB history to hit at least 30 home runs and drive in at least 100 RBI in a single season. Ortiz clubbed 30+ home runs in a season for the eighth time to match Williams’ all time team mark, and on September 19th, he reached 30+ home runs and 100+ RBI in a single season for the eighth time to pass Williams, who accomplished the feat seven times.
Ortiz is not always the most likeable player. He isn’t afraid to speak his mind, though we as fans may sometimes wish it were otherwise. Yet even his most obstinate detractors must now be forced to admit that one day following his retirement, which is, hopefully, several years away, Ortiz will eventually get what he deserves: a place in the Hall of Fame.
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