I’m a little late to the game in putting out a few thoughts
about David
Ortiz’s recent
announcement that he will be retiring as a player following the 2016 season
with the Boston Red Sox. A lot has already been written about his impending
departure and legacy but I’ll add a bit more because it’s better late than
never.
After Ortiz first joined the Red Sox in 2003, my initial
impressions weren’t favorable. I had picked him up on my fantasy team, as
experts had crowed about his potential to hit 20 home runs as part of a potent
Boston lineup. However, by the end of June, he was hitting just .254 with four
home runs, and splitting time with Jeremy
Giambi. Then, all of a sudden, something clicked and he went on to hit .286
with 27 home runs over his final 75 games. Needless to say, it helped catapult
me to my league finals and made me an instant fan. It was also the springboard for his career
that is now going into its 14th and final successful season in the Hub.
There’s little need to hash out Ortiz’s numbers. He has 503
home runs, 2,303 hits and been an integral part of three championship teams
after the franchise went an agonizing 86 years without one. Without question,
he’s on the Mt. Rushmore of all-time Red Sox greats. Only a vague
connection to PEDs will possibly keep him out of the Hall of Fame.
While Ortiz delighted Boston fans for well over a decade, he
could occasionally be a bit to take. While always seeming to be a great
teammate, he also had a habit of finding the spotlight in unattractive ways
like arguing over a scorer’s
call or lamenting his contract
status.
Ultimately, Ortiz’s positives overwhelmed any negatives. His
jovial hand clapping between pitches and clutch hitting (There may be no
scientific way to prove clutch play but try saying he wasn’t an absolute beast
when the games meant the most) provided the kind of infectious fun that makes
baseball so great. Even his controversial
posturing after home runs made the game better (unless you were on the
opposing team).
It wasn’t just his production that made Ortiz such a popular
figure with Boston fans. He was much more relatable as an everyman than your
typical modern athlete. With a moon face and a body type reminiscent to Babe
Ruth, he didn’t cut the imposing figure of a chiseled Adonis. Additionally, his
arrival in Boston after a failed stint as a top prospect of the Minnesota Twins
gave him an air of redemption that everyone likes to see in sports and in
everyday life. He did heroic things while appearing as someone you might
encounter at your neighborhood bar. He is someone that even an author couldn’t
make up.
2016 will be an extensive farewell tour for the man
affectionately known as Big Papi. Fans and opponents will line up to heap him
with praise and well wishes. Ultimately, he will be much deserving of it all
and leave the Red Sox with a hole that will never be truly filled.
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