David Ortiz hits 500th career home run
September 12, 2015
David Ortiz was offered the chance to take the day off, but he insisted on being in the lineup when the Red Sox traveled to Tampa Bay to take on the Rays. Turns out that was a wise decision.
Ortiz blasted a pair of homers in that game to become the 27th player in history to hit 500 career home runs.
A three-run shot in the first inning gave the Red Sox an early lead and gave Ortiz No. 499 for his career. He wouldn’t wait around long to add No. 500, lining a solo shot to right-center in the fifth inning on a 2-2 pitch from Matt Moore.
It was the 50th multi-homer game of Big Papi’s storied career. He also joined Albert Pujols as the only players in history to hit No. 499 and 500 in the same game.
Ortiz joined Jimmie Foxx (1940), Ted Williams (1960) and Manny Ramirez (2008) as the only players to hit their 500th home run in a Red Sox uniform. Williams, who is tied for 19th all-time with 521 home runs, is the only one of them to spend his entire career in Boston. Ortiz has a realistic chance of surpassing him on the all-time list next year, with Foxx within reach as well. He’d need an epic 52 homer season to catch Manny, which would be two short of the career-high he set in 2006.
Ortiz announced in November that he will retire after the 2016 season. The 40-year old remains one of the most feared hitters in the lineup, leading the team last season with 37 home runs, 108 RBI and a .360 OBP. He’s finishing his career strong, which hopefully will help him go out on top with a fourth championship ring.
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