David Ortiz
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| Position | Designated Hitter |
| Team | Boston Red Sox |
| Years of Experience | 8 years |
| Age | 30 |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in |
| Weight | 230 lbs. |
| Bats | Left |
| Throws | Left |
| College | N/A |
| 2005 Salary | $5,250,000 |
| Place of Birth | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| Selection | Amateur free agent, 1992. |
| Drafted by | Seattle Mariners |
| Major League Debut | September 2, 1997 |
| Nickname | Big Papi |
David Ortíz (or-TEEZ) born David Américo Ortíz Arias (November 18, 1975 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic), is a Major League Baseball first baseman/designated hitter who plays for the Boston Red Sox (since 2003). Previously, Ortiz played for the Minnesota Twins (1997-2002). He bats and throws left-handed.
Ortíz consistently hits for power to all fields. For a slugger, he is a good two-strike hitter and a hard man to strike out. Like many left-handed power hitters, Ortiz feasts on pitches down and over the inside half of home plate. While he is below average in foot speed, Ortiz is a heads-up player who will try for the extra base hit at the right time. He also plays at first base, though he is fairly immobile on the field.
Career
Ortiz is a career .282 hitter with 177 home runs and 626 RBI in 892 games (through the 2005 season).
In 1992, at age of 19, Ortiz signed with the Seattle Mariners. He was sent to Minnesota in 1996, and made his debut in September 1997. After moving up and down from the majors to the minors, Ortiz hit .272 with 20 home runs and 75 RBI in 2002, when the Twins lost the American League pennant to the Anaheim Angels. But Ortiz, whose left knee and right wrist had been surgically repaired, had not played in more than 130 games in a season. Thinking he was injured too often, struggled against left-handed pitching, and didn't work hard enough, and also fearing the money he would be awarded in arbitration, Minnesota let Ortiz go, and the Red Sox signed him.
Along with Bill Mueller and Kevin Millar, Ortiz was another free agent signee who came up big for the Red Sox in 2003. A DH and fifth in the order at bat, he had a huge second half and finished the season hitting .288 with 31 home runs and 101 RBI in 128 games. Considered by many to be the future of the Red Sox franchise even though he is already 30, Ortiz finished fifth in the American League MVP selection.
In 2004 Ortiz surpassed all expectations around him by turning in another solid season. Batting in the cleanup slot in the batting order, he led the American League in extra base hits (91) and was second in RBI (139); had 33 go-ahead RBI, 50 RBI with two out, and collected career highs in batting average (.301), home runs (41), RBI (139), runs (94), doubles (47), triples (3), walks (75), total bases (351), on base percentage (.380), slugging average (.603), OPS (.983), and games played (150).
In addition, Ortiz and Manny Ramírez became the first pair of American League teammates to hit 40 home runs, have 100 RBI, and bat .300 since the Yankees Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in 1931, and the first Red Sox duo with 40 homers since Tony Armas and Jim Rice (1984). Also along with Ramirez, Ortiz hit back-to-back home runs six times, tying the major league single season set by Hank Greenberg and Rudy York (Detroit Tigers) and Frank Thomas and Magglio Ordóñez (Chicago White Sox). Ortiz also hit 24 road home runs, second only to Ted Williams’ 26 in 1957. A first time All-Star, he hit a two-run home run, walked twice and scored two runs in the game.
In 2005 Red Sox owner John Henry named Ortiz "The Best Clutch Hitter in the History of the Boston Red Sox." He set a new career record of 47 home runs in the season, 43 of them as designated hitter, beating Edgar Martinez's record of 37 set in 2000. Twenty of his home runs either tied or gave Boston the lead, and over the period 2003-2005, he hit .326, with 22 home runs and 73 RBIs in only 221 at bats in the late innings of close games. He also led the American League in RBIs with 148, and his 47 homers were second in the AL to the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez. He also finished second to Alex Rodriguez in MVP votes.
Señor Octubre
Ortiz had one of the greatest postseasons in recent history in 2004:
- AL Division Series
- Game 3 - Tied 6-6 in the bottom of the 10th inning at Fenway Park, hit a walk-off home run against left-handed Jarrod Washburn on the first pitch. As a result, Boston won the series 3-0 over the Angels.
- AL Championship Series
- Game 4 - Facing the elimination 3-0 against the Yankees, won the game with another walk-off homer, this one in the 12th inning.
- Game 5 - Trailing 4-2 in the 8th inning, hit a home run to start a tying rally and won the game in the 14th inning with a walk-off single in a dramatic 10-pitch at-bat.
- Game 7 - In the top of the first inning, Johnny Damon was thrown out at the plate following a Manny Ramirez single, a potentially demoralizing moment for the Red Sox. However, on the very next pitch, Ortiz rocked a line drive into the right field stands for a two-run homer. The Red Sox won the game 10-3.
- After the Red Sox’ improbable comeback against the Yankees, Ortiz was selected the MVP of the 2004 ALCS.
- 2004 World Series
- At Fenway Park, hit a three-run home run in his first World Series at-bat. The rest is history, as the Red Sox went on to complete a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals.
- Postseason accomplishments
- AL Championship Series MVP
- Tied a record with 19 RBI in the postseason.
- Won three playoff games at Fenway Park with walkoff hits (within the span of 11 days).
- Two of his game-winners actually came on the same calendar day (October 18).
Career highlights
- All-Star (2004 & 2005)
- Three times Top 10 MVP (5th, 2003; 4th, 2004; 2nd, 2005)
- Led league in extra base hits (2004)
- Set record for most home runs by designated hitter in a season (2005)
- Winner of the 2005 Hank Aaron Award in the American League. This coveted honor is awarded annually to the best overall offensive performer in both the American League and National League.
- 2004 and 2005 winner of MLB's TYIB Hitter of the Year Award.
- Two-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award
Fact
- In six seasons with Minnesota, Ortiz batted .266 with 58 home runs and 238 RBI in 455 games. In two seasons with Boston, he has collected .295, 72 home runs, and 240 RBI in 278 games.
- Perhaps known best for his remarkable clutch hitting, Ortiz hit 17 home runs in the 2005 season which either tied or gave Boston a lead. Eight of these came in the 7th inning or later. (As of end of Sep 14, 2005.)
Trivia
- Ortiz' big frame and great-hitting ability have led him to receive the affectionate nicknames "Big Papi," "Señor Octubre" and "Señor Papi," both from the media and the Red Sox Nation fans. "Señor Octubre" reflects the "Mr. October" nickname given to Reggie Jackson - both players are known for their postseason performances.
- Was set to grace the cover of Nintendo's baseball video game for the Gamecube, Pennant Chase Baseball. The game has since been cancelled.
- Set to grace the cover of Sony's baseball video game MLB 06: The Show.
- He lives in Newton, Massachusetts a suberb of Boston