The beginning of the 2000s saw saw such names as Dante Bichette, Brian Daubach and Carlos Baerga man the designated hitter position. Beginning in 2003, a new name was added to these ranks: David Ortiz. Once Shea Hillenbrand was ousted to Arizona in May, Ortiz took over the full-time DH job and carved his place in Red Sox lore as the greatest clutch hitter in Boston history (commemorated with a plaque given by John Henry in 2004) and a major reason why Boston won two titles.
Ortiz finished fifth in the MVP voting in 2003, topping 100 RBI for the first time in his career. He had a quiet ALDS against the Athletics save for his rousing double in Game 4, but gave us a hint of what was to come in the ALCS against New York, cranking two home runs. Ortiz then avoided arbitration by signing a one year deal worth $4.5875 million a year after earning $1.25 million. Such cheap production for such valuable output, much to George Steinbrenner’s anger as he reportedly encouraged GM Brian Cashman to ink Ortiz as a free agent, which Cashman nixed.
In 2004, Big Papi became a cult hero. He was part of the three-four combo with Manny Ramirez, which would eventually break records as the best duo, contributing a .301/.380/.603 line with 139 RBI, 41 HR, 47 doubles and 94 runs. (Fire Brand archive: Breaking down the Manny and Papi Duo, 2/9/07, 3-4, 8/5/06.) He hit a walk-off home run off Jarrod Washburn to win the 2004 ALDS, then followed that up with a season-saving walk-off against the Yankees in extra innings during Game 4 of the ALCS, a game that will forever live in infamy. The next night, also in extra innings, he ripped a walk-off single to send the series back in New York down three games to two. Of course, the team would go on to win the World Series. (Fire Brand archive: 2004 Player Reviews: DH, 11/28/04.) Fun fact: Ellis Burks began the season as the weak side of the DH platoon, but a season-ending injury put the kibosh on that, and Big Papi continued his evolution into a hitter who destroyed everyone.
In 2005, the first year of a two-year, $12.5 million deal, Ortiz was even better. He jacked 47 home runs with 43 of them as the designated hitter. (Ortiz continued to play first base mainly during interleague play.)
Those 43 home runs beat Seattle’s Edgar Martinez’s 37 home runs in 2000. A staggering 20 of those 47 home runs either tied or gave Boston the lead. From 2003-2005, he hit .326 with 22 home runs in 221 at bats in the late innings of close games. On September 6, 2005, he hit a two-run, walk-off shot against the Angels to win the game. A plaque was awarded to him as “The Greatest Clutch Hitter in the History of the Boston Red Sox.” He also led the majors in RBI with 154 and finished second in the MVP voting after a contentious battle with Alex Rodriguez. Two writers left him off the 10-spot ballot, citing his position as designated hitter.
(What a travesty. I can understand DH harming your argument, but not to be top 10? Give me a break. Shades of a New York sportswriter leaving Pedro off the MVP ballot entirely in 1999, costing him the one vote he needed to win MVP. Why was he left off? For being a pitcher. Of course, the same voter would put Mariano Rivera on his MVP ballot a few years later.)
2006 saw Ortiz raise his home run totals for a seventh straight year, ending with 54. This set a new Red Sox record, besting Jimmie Foxx’s 50 from 1938. He also continueed his clutch hitting, having more walk-off hits than most teams with five, three as home runs. His final line was .287/.413/.636, with a league-leading 137 RBI and 119 walks.
Unfortunately, Ortiz made news in 2006 for something scary — an irregular heartbeats. Between doubleheader games on August 18, he was sent to the hospital after feeling ill. Doctors said he had an irregular heartbeat according to doctors, and then had recurring symptoms on August 28. He took a leave of absence before returning in early September. It’s all the more impressive he was able to jack 54 home runs with that weighing on his mind. Unfortunately, by the time he returned to action, Boston was all but out of the postseason chase. He did have one highlight on September 15, hitting his 270th home run as a DH and breaking the all-time record held by Frank Thomas.
Ortiz then signed a four-year, $52 million pact that is finishing up in 2010.
In 2007, Ortiz had a career year, at least according to OPS, which was 1.066. His home runs dropped to 35 and RBIs to 117, but contributed 52 doubles and a career-high .332 batting average, finishing at .332/.445/.621. For the fifth straight year, he had a top-5 MVP finish, finishing fourth. (Fire Brand archive: David Ortiz: One-man wrecking machine, 9/29/07.)
2008 had his lowest at-bat tally since 2002 with 416, although most of his dropoff was due to a .264 batting average and not power. (.264/.369/.507) At age 32, it looked like age was finally catching up with Big Papi, although he could still be an offensive force. (Fire Brand archive: Senor Octubre: Big Papi vital to October hopes, 9/18/08.) He and the club were able to push things to a Game 7 in the ALCS against Tampa Bay before falling short. 2009 was quite the trying time for Big Papi, of course.
First, he got off to an abominably awful start, hitting .185/.289/.286 in 178 at-bats over April and May. (Fire Brand archive: When is enough for David Ortiz?, 5/15/09.) June saw seven home runs hammered for a .320/.409/.653 line, and he had a second-half line of .258/.350/.516, similar to his 2008 line. That wasn’t even the main storyline of his season, however. On July 30, 2009, word leaked that Ortiz, along with Manny Ramirez, was on the 2003 list of players testing positive for illegal performance enhancements. We covered this original report and the ensuing fallout along with Papi’s press conference extensively at Fire Brand, and you’re welcome to read up on the saga again: Incoming MLBPA head issues statement on Ortiz, Fireside Chats #55: Where Paul may or may not have been slipped a PED last night, MLB opened ‘cursory’ investigation into PEDs in Sox staff last year, A great, tainted memory, David Ortiz issues statement, speaks to reporters, Ortiz and Ramirez Said to Be on 2003 Doping List (via NYTimes) and back from 2007: Did Ortiz take steroids?
For the purposes of this article, however, let’s leave it at that it stained Ortiz’s reputation irreparably, but there’s enough questions to as if he even did use performance enhancing drugs that in the end, the Cookie Monster escaped relatively unscathed from the issue. While Papi’s future is in doubt entering 2010 (Fire Brand archive: What to do with David Ortiz, 1/4/10; Contingency planning for an Ortiz on the ropes, 1/25/10.), there’s no question what he meant to Boston from 2003-2009.
All told, David Ortiz was perhaps the posterboy for the transformation of the Red Sox from the little engine that couldn’t, always dysfunctional, to the two World Series titles and the emergence of Boston as a powerhouse. Not only is he the DH of the All-Aughts team, one could argue he belongs in the No. 1 spot in the 2000-2009 Boston Red Sox rankings. Take a moment out of your day to reflect on how good Big Papi was, how much he meant and means to us, and no matter what happens in 2010, enjoy him as we always have, and as he always has enjoyed us.