MLB: Bartolo Colon and Four Other Ageless Wonders in Baseball Today
David Ortiz
Age: 37
July 5, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (34) hits a two run home run during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
David Ortiz, or “Big Papi,” first came to the major leagues in 1997 with the Minnesota Twins. He played there until 2003, which was when he joined the Boston Red Sox, the team he has played for ever since.
During his time with the Twins, he struggled with injury and didn’t play any better than average. This all changed when he signed with the Red Sox.
In 2003, Ortiz went from being inserted sparingly as a pinch runner at the beginning of the season, to finishing fifth in American League MVP voting. He had over 30 home runs, 100 RBIs, and had a .288 batting average. To give a comparison as to how much better he was playing, he had 58 home runs and 238 RBIs in his entire six seasons with the Twins.
Ever since signing with the Red Sox, Ortiz has earned a list of accomplishments as long as my arm. Some of the more notable ones include being named as the Designated Hitter of the Decade by Sporting News, being part of Sports Illustrated’s All-Decade Team, winning the World Series in 2004 and 2007, winning the Hank Aaron Award in 2005, being part of the 50 home run club, and winning the Roberto Clemente Award.
This season, Big Papi is having another great year. His team, the Red Sox, has the most wins of any team in Major League Baseball, and he is hitting .314. On Friday, Ortiz came into the game and hit a home run in the Red Sox’s win against the Angels. Also of note is Ortiz’s double on Tuesday. It was the 500th double he has hit in his career, which made him only the 20th player in MLB history with 500 doubles and 400 home runs.