David Ortiz

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David Ortiz

Boston Red Sox — No. 34
Designated Hitter
Bats: Left Throws: Left
Major League Baseball debut
September 2, 1997 for the Minnesota Twins
Selected MLB statistics
(through 2006)
AVG     .283
HR     231
RBI     763
Awards
2004 ALCS MVP
2004, 2005, 2006 American League Designated Hitter Silver Slugger
Former teams

    David Ortiz (IPA /or.ˈtis/, or roughly 'or-TEES', according to Latin American pronunciation) (born November 18, 1975 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, as David Américo Ortiz Arias), is a Major League Baseball designated hitter who plays for the Boston Red Sox (since 2003). Previously, Ortiz played for the Minnesota Twins (1997-2002). Nicknamed "Big Papi", Ortiz bats and throws left-handed. He has been elected to 3 American League All-Star teams, and holds the Red Sox single season record for home runs.

    Contents

    [edit] Career

    [edit] Early career

    David Ortiz shares a word with Toby Hall of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
    David Ortiz shares a word with Toby Hall of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

    In 1992, at the age of 17, Ortiz was signed by the Seattle Mariners. He was traded to Minnesota in 1996, and made his debut in September 1997, then known as David Arias. After moving up and down from the majors to the minors, Ortiz hit .272 with 20 home runs and 75 RBI in 2002, when the Twins lost in the American League Championship Series to the Anaheim Angels. In that postseason, Ortiz batted .241 with 3 RBI and 9 strikeouts in 9 games. But Ortiz, whose left knee and right wrist had been surgically repaired, had not played in more than 130 games in a season. Thinking he was injured too often, and also fearing his salary would increase dramatically in arbitration, Minnesota non-tendered Ortiz, letting the Red Sox take a chance on the slugger. In six seasons with Minnesota, Ortiz batted .266 with 58 home runs and 238 RBI in 455 games. In four seasons with Boston, he has collected a .294 average, 173 home runs, and 525 RBI in 588 games.[1]

    [edit] 2003

    Along with Bill Mueller and Kevin Millar, Ortiz was a free agent signee for the Red Sox in 2003. Originally, Jeremy Giambi was assigned the primary role as DH/First Baseman, but his lackluster performance allowed Ortiz to step in. Additionally, the subsequent trade of Shea Hillenbrand to Arizona allowed Bill Mueller to play full time at third base, creating more playing time. Ortiz became the full time designated hitter and hit fifth in the batting order, collecting 29 home runs after the All-Star Game. He finished the season hitting .288 with 31 home runs and 101 RBI in only 128 games. Ortiz finished fifth in the American League MVP vote.

    [edit] 2004

    • David Ortiz was suspended for five games, later reduced to three games upon appeal because of an incident on July 16, in a game versus the Anaheim Angels. In that game, Ortiz was ejected for arguing balls and strikes and proceeded to throw some of his bats in the direction of umpires Bill Hohn and Mark Carlson. [2]
    • In 2004, Ortiz, batting in the cleanup slot in the batting order, led the American League in extra base hits (91) and was second in RBI (139); had 33 go-ahead RBI, 50 RBI with two out, and collected career highs in batting average (.301), home runs (41), RBI (139), runs (94), doubles (47), triples (3), walks (75), total bases (351), on base percentage (.380), slugging average (.603), OPS (.983), and games played (150).
    • In addition, Big Papi and Manny Ramírez became the first pair of American League teammates to hit 40 home runs, have 100 RBI, and bat .300 since the Yankees' Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in 1931. Also along with Ramirez, Ortiz hit back-to-back home runs six times, tying the major league single season set by Hank Greenberg and Rudy York (Detroit Tigers) and Frank Thomas and Magglio Ordóñez (Chicago White Sox). A first time All-Star, he hit a two-run home run, walked twice and scored two runs in the game.
    • In the 2004 ALCS, Ortiz became the first (and so far only) professional baseball player to have walk-off hits in two playoff games in one calendar day. His 12th-inning home run won Game 4 of the ALCS against the New York Yankees shortly after midnight on October 18, 2004, and his walk-off single won Game 5 less than 23 hours later, earning him the nickname "Senor Octubre".[3]
    A 2004 Boston Red Sox World Series Ring. Ring courtesy of Red Sox Vice-Chairman Les Otten
    A 2004 Boston Red Sox World Series Ring. Ring courtesy of Red Sox Vice-Chairman Les Otten

    [edit] 2005

    • In 2005 he set a new career record of 47 home runs in the season, 43 of them as designated hitter, beating Edgar Martinez's record of 37 set in 2000. Twenty of his home runs either tied or gave Boston the lead, and over the period 2003-2005, he hit .326, with 22 home runs and 73 RBIs in only 221 at bats in the late innings of close games. He also led the American League in RBIs with 148, and his 47 homers were second in the AL to the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez. He also finished second to Alex Rodriguez in MVP votes.
    • The 2005 AL MVP was a significant debate among baseball circles as both Alex Rodriguez and Ortiz finished the regular season with impressive offensive statistics. He finished with new career highs in runs (119), RBIs (148), walks (102), on-base percentage (.397), and slugging percentage (.604). Two sportswriters left Ortiz completely off the ten player ballot, citing Ortiz's position as a designated hitter.

    [edit] 2006

    • 2006 was a year of walk-offs (the act of winning a game in the bottom half of the last inning) for Ortiz. He hit more walk-off base hits (five, including 3 home runs) that year than most teams and came one hit away from the most walk-offs since divisional play started in 1969.[4]
    • On August 27, 2006, David Ortiz tied his career high in home runs by hitting his 47th homer of the year off of Cha Seung Bak of the Seattle Mariners. On September 20, 2006, Ortiz tied Jimmie Foxx's single season Red Sox home run record of 50 set in 1938; in the 6th inning against Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Boof Bonser, Big Papi launched the ball into the center field bleachers behind the Red Sox bullpen. Ortiz has the unique honor of having increased his season home run tally in each of seven consecutive seasons (starting from 2000, year-by-year he has hit 10, 18, 20, 31, 41, 47 and 54 HRs).
    • On September 21, 2006, Ortiz broke Jimmie Foxx's single season Red Sox home run record by hitting his 51st home run off his former teammate, Johan Santana of the Minnesota Twins. The longball came on a 1-0 pitch in the first inning and it was his 44th home run as a designated hitter in 2006, which broke Ortiz's own American League single-season record. Ortiz then proceeded to hit his 52nd home run off reliever Matt Guerrier on a full-count in the seventh inning.

    [edit] Health issues

    • Ortiz also said he began feeling ill between games of a day-night doubleheader on August 18, 2006, against New York that dragged into the early morning. Between games, he had gone home and tried to sleep but couldn't. Ortiz was reportedly driven to the hospital by a team assistant. An irregular heartbeat was the cause for the stress according to his doctors. Ortiz would not originally talk about his condition, but opened up to the media on August 25, 2006, reportedly saying "I'm a healthy son of a [gun]".[5]
    • August 28, 2006, Ortiz had recurring symptoms from his irregular heartbeat and was a last minute scratch in the Red Sox game at Oakland. Manager Terry Francona and General Manager Theo Epstein agreed that Ortiz fly back to Boston where he was reevaluated and cleared to play again in early September.

    [edit] Salary History

    [6]

    -Signed a 4-year, $52 million extension with the Red Sox on April 10, 2006, keeping him with the team through 2010. There is a team option for 2011 included. (A $2 million signing bonus makes his annual salary $12,500,000 a year.)

    [edit] Career highlights

    • Three time All-Star (2004-2006)
    • Top 5 MVP vote-receiver four times (5th, 2003; 4th, 2004; 2nd, 2005; 3rd, 2006)
    • 2005 Hank Aaron Award winner
    • 3 time winner of the Silver Slugger Award
    • 4 time winner of the Edgar Martinez Award (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)
    • Led the American League in extra base hits (2004)
    • Was the MVP for the American League Championship Series (2004)
    • Led the American League in Home Runs (2006)
    • Led the American League in Runs Batted In (2005, 2006)
    • American League Player of the Month for September 2005 and July 2006.
    • Member of the 2004 Boston Red Sox team that won the World Series.
    • 2003 Caribbean Series MVP[7]
    • Red Sox single season home run leader (54; 2006)
    • Tied with Babe Ruth for AL single season home run record in road games (32; 2006)
    • First player ever to hit two walk-off home runs in the same postseason (against the Angels (ALDS) and Yankees (ALCS), 2004)
    • First player in Red Sox history to hit 40 or more home runs in three consecutive seasons (2004-2006)

    [edit] Charity and Community causes

    • On Mother's Day, May 14, 2006, Ortiz was slated to be one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a pink bat to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation. The game was rained out and he did not use the bat.
    • On October 14, 2006, Ortiz played wiffleball with a group of over 40 local kids as part of a 'Big Papi Backyard Wiffle Ball' game that was auctioned off to benefit 'Good Sports', a Boston-based non-profit organization that ensures disadvantaged youth have opportunity to play sports. David also gave 'Good Sports' a donation of $50,000.

    [edit] Family

    Ortiz sports a tattoo of his mother on his biceps. His mother, Angela Rosa Arias, died in a car crash in January 2002 at 46.[8] Ortiz' son D'Angelo is named after her.[9]. Ortiz has become a Green Bay Packers fan since marrying a native of Kaukauna, Wisconsin, southwest of Green Bay and has been spotted along the sidelines during the MLB off season. The family currently resides in Peabody, Massachusetts, a city near Boston.

    [edit] Career statistics

    David Ortiz (Updated as of February 24, 2007) [1]
    Games AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BA
    Career 1043 3666 622 1037 263 11 231 763 6 .283

    [edit] See also

    [edit] References

    1. ^ David Ortiz. ESPN.com (2007-02-24). Retrieved on 2007-02-24.

    [edit] External links

    Preceded by
    Mariano Rivera    		 American League Championship Series MVP
    2004    		 Succeeded by
    Paul Konerko
    Preceded by
    Alex Rodriguez    		 American League Player of the Month
    September, 2005    		 Succeeded by
    Jason Giambi
    Preceded by
    Miguel Tejada    		 American League RBI Champion
    2005, 2006    		 Succeeded by
    Incumbent
    Preceded by
    Manny Ramirez    		 American League Hank Aaron Award
    2005    		 Succeeded by
    Derek Jeter
    Preceded by
    Joe Mauer    		 American League Player of the Month
    July, 2006    		 Succeeded by
    Travis Hafner
    Preceded by
    Alex Rodriguez    		 American League Home Run Champion
    2006    		 Succeeded by
    Incumbent
    Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../d/a/v/David_Ortiz_0347.html"
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