David Ortiz

Nicknamed Big Papi, Ortiz was made a citizen of the United States of America in 2008. He has three kids and is married to his wife, Tiffany. Every time he would hit a home run, he would look up to the sky in a tribute to his late mother.

Early Professional Career

Ortiz was originally signed by the Seattle Mariners. He played for them in the minor leagues. Some of the teams he played for included the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The Mariners later traded Ortiz to the Minnesota Twins in 1997.

He went through the Twins’ minor league system and he played for teams like the New Britain Rock Cats and the Salt Lake Buzz.

MLB

Ortiz made his professional debut in Major League Baseball (MLB) in September 1997. In 1998, he worked closely with Twins coach Tom Kelly who helped Ortiz improve his defense. When Ortiz suffered a broken wrist, he was placed on the disabled list.

In 1999, he was sent down to the minor leagues, only to be recalled back in 2000. He became their regular designated hitter in 2001. In 2002, he suffered a personal tragedy when his mother died. It affected him and also inspired him to play his best at the same time.

At the end of the 2003 season, the Twins decided to release Ortiz. He would go on to join the Boston Red Sox as their first baseman.

Career with the Red Sox

When he began with the Red Sox, Ortiz was one of several basemen signed on by the team. The other ones were Shea Hillenbrand, Kevin Millar, Bill Miller, and Manny Ramirez. Because of this, Ortiz had limited playtime during his first few months with the Red Sox. By July, he had become their everyday designated hitter.

In 2004, he was doing so well that he earned his first Silver Slugger Award. He would go on to receive the award seven times throughout his MLB career. In the same year, he helped the Red Sox win the World Series, their first in 86 years. In 2005, he was awarded by the owners of the Red Sox by a plaque proclaiming him to be the “Greatest Clutch Hitter” in the history of the Boston Red Sox. In the same year, he won his second Silver Slugger and he was also named to the All-Star team.

He signed a contract extension with the Red Sox in 2006. It was reportedly worth $52 million. A year later, he helped the team win another World Series. 2008 and 2009 saw a slump in Ortiz’s career. This followed a wrist injury. He finished 2009 batting just 0.238.

He bounced back through 2010 and did well enough that by 2011, that he was signed by the Red Sox via salary arbitration through to 2012. At the end of the 2012 season, they signed him on to a two-year contract.

2013 was a banner year for him and he was named by the World Series Most Valuable Player. He continued to perform well in the following years and was named by many authorities as one of the best hitters in the history of the MLB.

In 2016, he announced his retirement from professional baseball. He was 40 years old. The Red Sox would later induct him into their Hall of Fame and they would retire Jersey No.34 in his honor.

Major League Baseball Statistics

Batting average: 0.286
Hits: 2,472
Home runs: 541
Runs batted In: 1,768

Career Highlights and Awards

• 2004 - ALCS MVP
• 2004–2008, 2010–2013, 2016 – MLBAll-Star
• 2004, 2007, 2013 - World Serieschampion
• 2004–2007, 2011, 2013, 2016 - SilverSlugger Award
• 2005, 2016 - AL Hank Aaron Award
• 2005, 2006, 2016 - AL RBI Leader
• 2006 - AL Home Run Leader
• 2011 - Roberto Clemente Award
• 2013 - World Series MVP
• Boston Red Sox No. 34 retired
• Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame