Every baseball fan knows what David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez mean to the Boston Red Sox. In 2020, they will both be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame.
Let’s take a break from all the offseason speculation for a minute and look back on better days, shall we? The 2020 Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame inductees have been announced, and easily the most familiar names included are David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.
When thinking about Red Sox baseball since the turn of the century, these are usually the first two names that will appear in a fan’s mind. They were one of the most feared duos in baseball in their time as teammates from 2003 to 2008, combining for 431 home runs, 1,367 RBIs, and 11 All-Star selections (six for Manny, five for Papi) in that span.
More importantly, they both played a central part in breaking the Curse of the Bambino. A tale that has been repeated to the point where it’s reaching broken-record status, but for Red Sox fans the 2004 season which broke an 86-year period of not winning a World Series championship will never be forgotten. That doesn’t happen without these two sluggers.
However, what they did for the Red Sox goes beyond 2004. They didn’t just end a drought, they helped completely transform the team from underdogs to a powerhouse. The Sox made the playoffs in every year of their time together except for 2006 and they won another World Series title in 2007.
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Without Manny and Papi we likely wouldn’t have such high standards for this team year-in and year-out. Not only were they fun to watch at the plate, but they also made us expect good performances, not just hope for them.
Of course, despite their similar prowess with the bat in their hands, they are not one and the same. Ortiz was a leader through and through whose presence seems irreplaceable, as he was always someone that younger players could seek out for advice. On the other hand, Ramirez had a tendency to be a headache as drama always seemed to follow him during his career.
For some, that drama is hard to look past despite how electrifying Manny was as a hitter, but any Red Sox fan will rightfully say it was worth it to have him on the team. With Papi, even though the Red Sox have won a World Series since he retired it still seems as if the clubhouse misses his leadership.
You can definitely argue that Manny should be in already, but doesn’t it just make sense that these two are getting into the Red Sox Hall of Fame at the same time? The impact they made on Boston during their tenures will never be forgotten, and what they were able to accomplish is truly special.