Hall Of Fame Debate: Buy OR Sell – David ‘Big Papi’ Ortiz
I promise that I will not do this too often for current major league players…
I really don’t know why, but I have had ‘Papi On The Brain’ for the better part of this week. And while I am not particularly a fan of his or of the Red Sox, I will admit that he is one of the few hitters that when he is at the plate, he demands your attention.
This was a quiet offseason for Ortiz due to his signing of a 2-year contract extension during the offseason of 2012. But, I am sure that he will make headlines again at the conclusion of the 2013 baseball season due to his free agent status. And more likely than not, he will probably re-sign with the Boston Red Sox for the fourth time.
I got to thinking about the great moments that Ortiz has provided the baseball world over the last decade. He absolutely has the needed ‘Magical Moments’ that help elevate a player’s status, but are his numbers Hall of Fame worthy??
That is tonight’s question: Do You Buy OR Sell David Ortiz As A Hall Of Famer??
Let’s start with the obvious – Ortiz is a fantastic hitter. Entering the 2013 baseball season, he has a career .285 batting average, with six seasons of hitting .300 or better on his resume.
Ortiz also has 401 career home runs. And at the age of 37, he still has a real chance to reach the magical number of 500 if he remains healthy and in the everyday lineup. Of his ten seasons with the Red Sox, Ortiz has connected for 30+ home runs three times, 40+ twice, and a career high of 54 home runs in 2006.
Ortiz has also been solid at driving in runs for the Sox. He has 1,326 career RBI and will more than likely eclipse 1,500 before he retires. Papi has driven in 100 or more runs in six of his ten seasons in Boston.
He has also been a member of the elite ’30/100 Club’ six times. This puts him in an elite grouping of today’s players.
Ortiz is an 8-time All-Star and a 5-time Silver Slugger Award winner. And from 2003-2007, he had an amazing streak of five straight ‘Top Five’ finishes for the American League’s MVP Award.
Ortiz has won two World Series titles with the Red Sox, 2004 and 2007. He has a batting average of .321 in the World Series and has hit one home run, scored 7 runs, and driven in 8 runs in the Fall Classic.
Is this resume grand enough to gain entry into the Hall of Fame??
I say ‘YES’. Big Papi is a fantastic ambassador for the sport, and his joy of the game is infectious. His on-the-field accomplishments are on par, if not greater than, the best hitters of his era. And his winning ways since joining the Red Sox in 2003 define him as a winning ballplayer.
Sure, he is primarily a designated hitter, but he is and has been a feared part of the Boston Red Six lineup for the better part of ten seasons.. And I don’t think that just because he is primarily used as a DH that he should get any less consideration or votes for Hall of Fame entry when he becomes eligible.
His career may be incomplete at this point, but in my opinion unless something drastically bad halts Ortiz’s progress over the next 3-4 years, he is absolutely Hall of Fame material!!!!
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