David Américo Ortiz Arias, better known as David Ortiz to you and me, is not just a ballplayer for the Boston Red Sox. As the all-time leader in MLB history in home runs, RBI’s and hits by a designated hitter, he is perhaps the greatest DH of all-time. In a career spanning nearly 20 years, this week marks Ortiz final week of regular season play. So we thought it an apt time to take a look at those moments that showed the world what makes him “Big Papi.”
1. The Speech
Every so often the sports world serves as a means to heal people and communities from tragic events in the real world. On April 20, 2013 just five days after the bombing at the Boston Marathon occurred the city was in mourning. Before the Red Sox would take the field for its first home game since the tragedy, Ortiz would give a speech that transcends sports.
“All right, Boston…This jersey that we wear today, it doesn’t say ‘Red Sox.’ It say[s] ‘Boston.’… This is our fucking city, and nobody’s going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong. Thank you.”
At this moment, Ortiz served not just as father figure for the team, but the city of Boston. It was as if your papi was telling you – yes you’ve fallen down, yes your hurt, but yes you will get up and you will move on.
2. The 2004 ALCS
2003 was David Ortiz first year with the Boston Red Sox. In the playoffs they suffered a devastating ALCS loss to the New York Yankees. The defeat created the catch phrase “Aaron ‘Frickin’ Boone”, whose home run was a Bucky Dent like moment and dagger to the team’s heart, continuing the World Series drought for the Red Sox. Yet, in 2004 retribution would be had. The teams again met up in the ALCS and the Yankees lost a three-game lead. Many will look to Curt Schilling, but offensively it was David Ortiz who devastated Yankee’s pitching. During the series he batted .387, with three home runs and eleven RBI’s, with his walk-off hits getting Boston games four and five and earning Ortiz the series MVP. Sure, folks will always remember the bloody sock, but make no mistake. The Boston Red Sox do not win that series without David Ortiz.
3. The Steroid Accusations
Ortiz endured quite a bit of criticism in the wake of the 2003 report which outed a number of MLB players as allegedly testing positive for steroids. Yet, when having to deal with the heat, he handled it like a pro. In an interview with ESPN Ortiz and admitted it was difficult to hear people calling him a cheater and discrediting the hard work he’s put in for years to become the player he is. “I had to put up with that. I’ve got to put up with ghosts,” he said. “It’s like I always say — in the time where we have the best drug-testing program in all of sports, I’ve never failed a test and I keep on putting up numbers. So if you want to hate and you want to put attention to that, it’s up to you.” When speaking as to how it may have injured his chances at the Hall of Fame, Ortiz further explained. “I work my butt off to do that, to be there. My numbers talk for themselves. But I have no control over it. I can’t control that. If I don’t make it to the Hall of Fame because of that, I’m not going to die. I’m just going to continue being the same person I am.”
4. The Final Season
This 2016 season was supposed to be a swan song. A year where Ortiz visits various ball parks around the league to say farewell and receive retirement gifts from opposing teams. Yet, it’s been anything but, Ortiz has had a career year swatting 37 home runs, 124 RBIs, a .641 slugging percentage. Numbers which a 40-year old player in the twilight of his career isn’t supposed to put up. Numbers which have kept the Boston Red Sox at the top of the division for the year and headed into the playoffs. Ortiz has been both the leader of the team on and off the field.
5. The Farewell to New York
Just before beginning his final series at Yankee Stadium, Ortiz provided The Player’s Tribune with quite the farewell message to the Yankees. Just check it out below.
If that doesn’t put a whole new twist on “Who’s Your Daddy”. Well we don’t know what does.