Red Sox: David Ortiz is most impactful player in franchise history
By Mike El-Far
Everyone knows who the greatest player for the Boston Red Sox is. The real question is which player has had the most impact on the franchise and the league?
With Spring Training winding down, Red Sox Nation is finally accepting life without David Ortiz. Big Papi’s career ended in the most shocking way, as the Red Sox were swept in the ALDS. But, as many have had time to digest his retirement, there is something that I feel very strongly about.
I don’t think there is a debate as to the greatest player in Red Sox history. Ted Williams is one of the greatest players to ever be a part of Major League Baseball, let alone in Boston. With that being said, Williams’ impact on the franchise isn’t close to his career. The man who has impacted this franchise more than any other is David Ortiz.
How can you even measure something like impact? It’s not like a batting average or RBI’s. There are no statistics on how a player impacts a franchise. Personally, I think the perception of the franchise is the biggest indicator of a player’s impact.
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Let’s face it, the perception of the Boston Red Sox was radically different only 14 years ago. The Sox have had the term “lovable losers” attached to them for the longest time. Obviously they won five titles before 1918, but after that it was a giant drought. From Pesky bobbling the ball in 1946 to the ball between Buckner’s legs 40 years later, Boston just could never win it all.
Ortiz started his insane playoff legacy in 2004, with three walk-off hits , two which occurred in elimination games. The 2004 ALCS was arguably the greatest comeback in all of professional sports, when the Sox came back from 3-0 down to defeat the Yankees 4 games to 3. Papi had a huge part of that comeback, hitting walk-off hits in games 4 and 5. Ortiz kept his hot streak rolling into St. Louis, as Boston won their first World Series in 86 years.
Ortiz didn’t stop winning in 2004, as he was a part of the championship teams of 2007 and 2013. And in 2013, Ortiz was a part of one of the most memorable moments in all of Boston sports. The craziest part was that it had absolutely nothing to do with baseball.
Now, the perception of the Red Sox is of a winning franchise that views anything less than a championship as a disappointment. Ortiz stands as the only man to have three rings with Boston in the modern era. He has helped shape this franchise into a perennial powerhouse. But, that is not all he has done to be a forceful impact on the game. He has changed the perception of something much bigger than one team, the way a position is viewed.
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Ortiz is, without a doubt, the greatest designated hitter to ever play professional baseball. The argument of if a DH is a legitimate position or not is for another blog post. Simply put, Ortiz played his position better than anyone to every lace them up.
You’re probably wondering where I’m going to mention perception while talking about Ortiz as a DH. Ortiz revolutionized the way front offices think of the DH position. Most AL teams used to look at the DH as a way to give players off-days every now and then.
Now, more and more teams are looking at a legitimate hitter to take over that position. For example, the Cleveland Indians were one out away from winning the World Series. In the offseason, they signed Edwin Encarnacion to a 4-year, $80 million contract. He is going to be primarily a designated hitter, with the occasional game at first base. Clearly, Ortiz has impacted the position as a whole.
While Ortiz will never be the greatest player to ever play for Boston, his impact is second to none. The presence he had over Fenway Park, and the city as a whole, will never be matched.
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Growing up, many different older people always told me that seeing Ted Williams play was something that they never forgot. Seeing the Red Sox win three World Series, one only months after the worst tragedy to hit this state, is something I’ll never forget. And David Ortiz is the man most responsible for those memories.