Boston Red Sox Designated Hitter lineage
By Rick McNair
Creme de la Creme
David Ortiz was and is actually a decent defensive player. When sent into a “regular” position at first base the slugger does not embarrass himself. Ortiz has baseball smarts and will make the basic plays and not play outside his comfort level. Ortiz has limited mobility, but will cover the ground and certainly can handle errant tosses. But where Ortiz has blossomed is as the premier DH in baseball history.
Ortiz tale is now both an oral and written history that will go on for generations among the Red Sox faithful. The legacy of clutch hitting is certainly one that sets Ortiz on a special pedestal when compared to other Red Sox players. Any list of great moments in Red Sox history will be littered by the Ortiz exploits.
Baseball is also a sport of personalities and that is another area where Ortiz has special identifiers attached. The most memorable of moments are public pronouncements on a solemn occasion that contained language that in the context was, to me, quite appropriate. You had the annual salary squabbles, the questions of PED use, expletive-laced news conferences, the molasses-paced home run trot, bat flips, on-field rivalries and the occasional press conference faux pas interruptions caused by a noted teammate.
The real thing of baseball is the numbers. No sport is so heavily invested in numbers as is baseball. When it comes to hitting numbers for anyone and especially a DH then the numbers stratosphere has Ortiz as an occupant.
The personal awards are everywhere – Silver Sluggers, All-Star, various MVP Awards and the most important awards that escaped even the great Ted Williams – three World Championship rings.
Next: Red Sox Prospect Andrew Benintendi Knocking On Fenway Door
The best DH – in baseball history.
Sources: FanGraphs/Baseball-Reference