David Ortiz, 2004
Naturally, the most important player in Red Sox history gets two seasons to spotlight. Much like Manny Ramirez, it was business as usual for David Ortiz in the 2004 regular season. In just his second season with the Red Sox, he slashed .301/.380/.603 with 41 home runs and 139 RBI.
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Once again, the magic happened in the postseason. Ortiz forever endeared himself to Red Sox Nation by performing at his best when it mattered the most and helping the Red Sox win the World Series and break the “curse.”
Manny Ramirez doesn’t win World Series MVP in 2004 without Big Papi’s heroic ALCS performance. Down 0-3 to the Yankees, Ortiz walked off both games 4 and 5 en route to the Sox winning four straight and moving on to the World Series.
There are perhaps no swings of the bat more impactful than those in Red Sox history. As a whole, Ortiz hit .387 with three home runs and 11 RBI in the ALCS and was given MVP honors for that series. It is perhaps the most impressive performance by a Red Sox player in any postseason series given the high stakes.
Ortiz established himself as a Boston icon in 2004 and continued to build on his legacy from there. We should consider ourselves extremely lucky to have been able to see it happen.