David Ortiz Continues to Climb the Career Home Run Ladder
On Saturday, David Ortiz the veteran designated hitter for the Boston Red Sox had one hit in four at bats. His hit did not influence the outcome of the game.
However, on Friday evening as the sun was setting, Ortiz belted a blast over the wall in dead center field for his 521st home run.
With the home run, Ortiz tied the likes of Willie McCovey, Frank Thomas and Ted Williams in 19th place on the all time list of home runs.
Ortiz made sure following the home run that he retrieved the ball saying it would be a good ball to have. The Red Sox lost the game on Friday to the Seattle Mariners 8-4 but are happy to have Ortiz in their lineup, even though he has said this is his last season playing.
The home run was Ortiz’s 18th of the season putting him on pace, at the age of 40, to hit 44 in his final season. At the pace Ortiz is on now, he will catch No. 18 Jimmie Foxx at 534 and legendry Yankees great Mickey Mantle at 536 prior to ending his career.
Ortiz after the game said the home run meant a great deal. He added that everyone knows how great Ted Williams was and when they put your name in the same sentence with greats like Williams, McCovey and Thomas it pretty much describes the type of career you had over the years.
The home run was the 2,380th hit of his career, which is not that noteworthy in itself except that the hit tied Chili Davis, his hitting coach for No. 126 on the all time hit list.
Davis over the last two seasons has been working with Ortiz and speaking highly of the slugger and makes him an example to all the younger hitters in Boston’s lineup such as Mookie Betts the right fielder and Xander Bogaerts at shortstop.
Ortiz told the world of baseball that this season would be his last. However, after 67 games the Boston designated hitter is leading the team in home runs with 18, runs batted in with 59 and on-base percentage at .421.
He is second in batting average at .342 trailing only Xander Bogaerts at .352.
The veteran from the Dominican Republic might very well call it a career after the season, but the way he is swinging the bat there will be plenty of players, coaches and fans hoping he changes his mind.
