Day 4

Fresh Start_4: Big Papi

As baseball fans know David Ortiz is retiring at the end of the season bringing his twenty-year career to an end. In those twenty years Ortiz has won over the heart of a city, helped break the illustrious “Boston Curse”, and became arguably the best designated hitter of all time. With that however, his career has had some small dents in it. Big Papi’s name did land on the same steroid report as Alex Rodriguez, and Barry Bonds. Enduring the fire of hate for most of his career Ortiz has cemented a place in Boston history forever.

From the time he arrived from Minnesota to Boston in 2003 his presence was made aware, as he hit 31 homers and 101 RBI’s in his first season with the Red Sox. Ortiz would propel Boston to the ALCS where they would lose to the Yankees in dramatic fashion thanks to one Aaron Boone. In the very next season Big Papi would smash 41 out of the park and drive in 139 runs, ultimately breaking the curse in ’04 along with Yankee fans heart, when he hit a walk off home run in Game 4. Big Papi wasn’t done winning championships however, he would bring two more back to the city. Beating the Colorado Rockies in 2007, then carrying the ENTIRE city of Boston and its fans in 2013 following the bombing at the Boston Marathon. In 2013 Ortiz was literally as hot as possible. Batting .388 with 5 bombs, and 13 RBI’s for the entire playoffs; including batting .688 with 2 homers and 6 RBI’s in the World Series winning World Series MVP.

In a game that is forever changing superstars, Big Papi has been a staple for most of the country for twenty years. From personal experience watching him from a New Yorkers bias I have feared and hated Ortiz when he stepped in the batter’s box against the Yankees. The slugger has smacked 47 homers against the Bronx Bombers and every time hits one it seems to have more and more angry behind it. You see the way I think Ortiz looks at the Yankees on the field is like a bully that has stolen his lunch money for twenty plus years and its finally time to even the score. David Ortiz is definitely the definition and the original “Yankee Killer”. Ortiz is the only batter in my lifetime that I have been scared to look when the Yankees are playing. I have seen Big Papi play in both Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park and every at bat I had to look away. Another thing about going to Boston and seeing Ortiz play the Yankees is how adored he is by the Boston faithful. Ortiz could go 0-6 in a ball game with four strike outs and two rally killing double plays and he would still be cheered off the field. If Travis Shaw did the same, he would have his name in death threats the next day. David Ortiz is the second coming of Christ in the mind of Bostonians.

One of the things that many people overlook about David Ortiz is how he has completely changed the way the game is played today. No, I’m not talking about emotion (I will get to that later) I’m talking about the over shift or shift as it is referred too. The shift was invented to stop Red Sox Hall of Famer Ted Williams, and not really used again until Ortiz stepped to the plate. One this both of these men had in common has pulling the ball to the left side of the field consistently. So consistently in fact that it seemed like every time they were at-bat the ball was heading toward rightfield. Big Papi was one of the first players that every team started to shift for, and rightfully so. But, and this may be unfair, I blame Ortiz for the way the game is played today with shifting left, right, up, and down for every player. So thank you for that!

Whether or not Ortiz will make it to Cooperstown it will remain to be seen, especially with the as for mentioned steroid connection, but it is Big Papi we are talking about. The man has fans all around the country just ask the little leaguers playing in the Little League World Series this year. There is no doubt Big Papi is a baseball icon and legend; possibly as influential as Ken Griffey Jr. or Derek Jeter. Ortiz was part of the movement that brought flare, emotion, and swagger to the game. No other athlete in the game of baseball has channeled all of those and produced on the level that Big Papi has, and maybe that’s why he is as likeable as Jr. Maybe it’s the big smile, maybe it’s the extended one arm finish after every home run, maybe it’s how calm he seems at any moment on the field, or maybe it’s just all of it. I have never cheered for David Ortiz, but when he plays his final game where ever and whenever it is; I will tip my cap to the man and thank him for bringing excitement, change, and overall fun to the game that I love so much.

Sources:(baseballreference.com, New York Daily News)

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