Baseball lost a great player a just a few days ago, unceremoniously sent off into the sunset by a surprise sweep of the upstart Cleveland Indians. David Ortiz, formerly of the Boston Red Sox, decided some time ago this would be his last year, and win, lose, or draw, he seems to be sticking to his decision. As is often the case, now there is one important discussion left for Ortiz. Now that David Ortiz’s career is finished, it is our job as those who enjoy the game to examine and dissect the totality of his career and determine its final resting place, namely, is his story one that belongs in Baseball’s Hall of fame?
One thing is for certain, this is a man who is beloved in Boston, and respected by fans in cities all across the country, not …show more content…
Due to the sports’ tendency to summarize itself into an alphabet soup of statistics, (RBIs, BBs, Ks, WAR, etc.) a player’s career ends up boiled down to little more than the numbers produced before retirement. In a vacuum, Ortiz’ numbers aren't poor; ranking 32nd, 10th, and 17th in total bases, doubles, and home runs hit all time, as well as near the top in many other ways to rank a hitter’s prowess (Baseball Ref: Leaders.) His numbers in fact, compare favorably to another player considered one of the best hitters of their era, a man by the name of Edgar Martinez.
Edgar Martinez is an interesting case study himself, and has much in common with Ortiz. Much like Ortiz, Martinez will always be a legend to his team, a member of Seattle's own hall of fame. He actually hit the ball on average more than Ortiz did, and many of their career totals are close, despite playing three years less. Yet, while Martinez is considered by many to be the best at his position he has yet to receive the honor of being inducted into Baseball’s illustrious hall of fame, and it’s not clear he ever will (Top 10) …show more content…
Ortiz was a key cog of three world championship teams, hitting another 17 home runs in 85 playoff appearance (Baseball Ref: Ortiz.) Even if he was overshadowed by his star teammates, winning only 1 World Series MVP among his three trips, just being part of the team that won Boston’s first championship in 86 years (MLB: Espn) is viewed by many as a tiebreaker, enough to push a close case over the edge into baseball lore.
This is not one of these cases. There is no tie to break. Baseball’s Hall of Fame is a pure place, a sanctuary, a place reserved for only the best. For those who did it all on the baseball field, and did so the right way, the fair way, the way legends of the past did. Ortiz was fun, he was exuberant, and brought a spark to the game every time he stepped up to bat. He is also a known cheater, a specialist, and frankly an incomplete player. More importantly, there is one thing he isn’t, one thing he never will be; a Hall of
One thing is for certain, this is a man who is beloved in Boston, and respected by fans in cities all across the country, not …show more content…
Due to the sports’ tendency to summarize itself into an alphabet soup of statistics, (RBIs, BBs, Ks, WAR, etc.) a player’s career ends up boiled down to little more than the numbers produced before retirement. In a vacuum, Ortiz’ numbers aren't poor; ranking 32nd, 10th, and 17th in total bases, doubles, and home runs hit all time, as well as near the top in many other ways to rank a hitter’s prowess (Baseball Ref: Leaders.) His numbers in fact, compare favorably to another player considered one of the best hitters of their era, a man by the name of Edgar Martinez.
Edgar Martinez is an interesting case study himself, and has much in common with Ortiz. Much like Ortiz, Martinez will always be a legend to his team, a member of Seattle's own hall of fame. He actually hit the ball on average more than Ortiz did, and many of their career totals are close, despite playing three years less. Yet, while Martinez is considered by many to be the best at his position he has yet to receive the honor of being inducted into Baseball’s illustrious hall of fame, and it’s not clear he ever will (Top 10) …show more content…
Ortiz was a key cog of three world championship teams, hitting another 17 home runs in 85 playoff appearance (Baseball Ref: Ortiz.) Even if he was overshadowed by his star teammates, winning only 1 World Series MVP among his three trips, just being part of the team that won Boston’s first championship in 86 years (MLB: Espn) is viewed by many as a tiebreaker, enough to push a close case over the edge into baseball lore.
This is not one of these cases. There is no tie to break. Baseball’s Hall of Fame is a pure place, a sanctuary, a place reserved for only the best. For those who did it all on the baseball field, and did so the right way, the fair way, the way legends of the past did. Ortiz was fun, he was exuberant, and brought a spark to the game every time he stepped up to bat. He is also a known cheater, a specialist, and frankly an incomplete player. More importantly, there is one thing he isn’t, one thing he never will be; a Hall of