Papi's Power

Ortiz has gained the reputation as
the most clutch player in
Red Sox history.

As if this weekend's Interleague series between the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox wasn't already historic enough, David Ortiz added to the history Saturday night. In the fourth inning with the Sox down one to nothing, Ortiz launched a 2-2, 92 mph fastball from right-hander Carlos Zambrano over the Green Monster to put Boston out in front. The home run was the 300th for Ortiz as a member of the Red Sox.

    The blast put Ortiz in elite company, as the veteran designated hitter became only the fifth player in history to hit 300 home runs while wearing a Red Sox uniform. Three of the other four players have been enshrined into Cooperstown following their illustrious careers. Legendary left fielder Ted Williams is the franchises all-time leader and the only one to have crossed the 500 threshold with 521 career home runs.

    In 2006, Ortiz set the franchises single-season record for home runs, as he hit 54 that season while driving in 137 runs. His 20 career walk-off hits are most among active players, 12 of them coming via the long ball. He is also the all-time leader in baseball history for career home runs as a DH, hitting 314 of his 358 at the position. No DH has ever been named the American League Most Valuable Player, but Ortiz came as close as possible without receiving the award, finishing second behind New York Yankees third basemen Alex Rodriguez in 2005.

    Known as "Big Papi", Ortiz was not always so successful especially early in his career with the Minnesota Twins. Since making his major league debut in '97 Ortiz had only totaled 58 career home runs during his first six seasons in the Twin Cities. Boston general manger Theo Epstein took a chance on Ortiz after signing him prior to the '03 season. Ortiz hit 31 home runs his first season on Yawkey Way, after being limited to a pinch-hitting role the first quarter of the regular season by then manager Grady Little. We all know what happened the the following year.

    After the Sox fell into an 0-3 series hole in the ALCS against the hated New York Yankees, Ortiz put the team on his back and carried them to the most historic comeback in postseason history, beating New York four straight times putting them in their first World Series since 1986.

    Even though his counterpart Manny Ramirez won the World Series MVP in '04, Ortiz batted .308 during their sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals and was the main reason why Boston broke it's 86-year curse without a World Series title.

    The Hall of Fame does not have any member listed as a DH, but Milwaukee Brewer great Paul Molitor spent more games as a DH than any other position and was inducted in his first year on the ballot in '04. Most recently Seattle Mariner Edgar Martinez, who also spent most of his career as a DH, received only 36.2 percent of the vote in his first year of eligibility back in 2010 and even less his second year on the ballot receiving 32.9 percent of the 75 percent required to be inducted.

Molitor is a prime example a player that
spent most of their career as a DH can
be put into Cooperstown.

Will the Red Sox slugger ever reach the baseball plateau and get into the hollowed hall?

It is hard to say just for the simple fact Ortiz was linked to performance-enhancing drugs back in July of '09. Most of the baseball writers have made it clear they will not vote for any player linked to PEDs, but Ortiz still holds a fighting chance after being considered by many the most clutch hitter in Red Sox history.

    Ortiz looks to continue to add to his seven home runs in the month of May on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball against the Chicago Cubs. It is the first meeting between the two at historic Fenway Park since their meeting in 1918 World Series.