We finish up my week-long salute to the newest member of the Hall of Fame with the one I'm most excited for. Unlike everyone else I've honored this week, I had no trouble finding cards of "Big Papi" in my collection: he's one of 5 players I have over 100 unique cards of. If anything, I had trouble narrowing it down!. But narrow it down I did, and so I present to you my 5 favorite cards of the BBWA's lone inductee, David Ortiz:
2009 Upper Deck X - Memorabilia
#UDXJ-DO (MEM)
This is my favorite of 2 relic cards I have of Ortiz. With his induction, they become the first relic cards of a Hall of Famer I have in my collection!
2014 Topps #259 (WS)
Of course, Ortiz Hall of Fame resume is boosted by his postseason heroics. With Ortiz, the Red Sox won 3 World Championships, and he was a major factor in all 3. In 2004, he was the driving force during the greatest comeback in postseason history. During the 2007 postseason, he batted .370 with 3 HR and 10 RBI. Perhaps saving the best for last, he won World Series MVP honors in 2013 by tying the World Series record by reaching base 9 straight times!
2016 Topps #400
Of course, even without the postseason accolades, his regular season totals are impressive on their own. He's one of only 4 players with over 500 home runs and 600 doubles, placing him in the Top 20 all-time in both categories (and putting him 8th all-time in extra base hits). He's only the third player ever to have at least 85 extra base hits in four consecutive seasons. A 10-time All-Star, David Ortiz has won numerous awards, including 8 Edgar Martinez Awards, 7 Silver Sluggers, 2 Hank Aaron awards, and even the Roberto Clemente Award.
2019 Stadium Club #281
Ortiz is a charismatic person who played with passion. He was a leader on and off the field. His in-game speech during game 4 of the 2013 World Series rallied his team. His pre-game speech after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings rallied a whole state.
2020 Topps Archives #308 (SP)
"Big Papi" was indeed larger than life, and no one could have predicted that when the Red Sox signed him to a non-guaranteed contract in 2003 to share playing time with Shea Hillenbrand and Jeremy Giambi, that they would get an icon that transformed the whole franchise.
Welcome to the Hall of Fame, David Ortiz, and thank you from this lowly Red Sox fan.
He's not going in as a Twin? :)
ReplyDeleteAccording to TCDB, I have 3 of his. Feels like I have more, but only 3 are listed:
2001 Fleer Premium (as a Twin)
2017 Bowman
2022 Topps Opening Day - Bomb Squad
I was kind of hoping he would. Unfortunately, he had do go in with some other team. Everybody knows Ortiz as a Twin!
DeleteI regret not collecting Ortiz more... back when I was dumping a lot of money into the hobby. He'd be a fun player to PC. That smile of his is seriously contagious. Every now and then there are players who leave... and are truly missed. Big Papi is one of them.
ReplyDeleteI was at Fenway yesterday and they are making a big deal out of the Ortiz Appreciation Night coming up in a few days. I would have added the honorable mention of his '97 cards just to see that big smile that he had from the get-go. Or 98 Bowman showing him playing 1B! But, keeping it to the Sox only works for me.
ReplyDeleteLots of respect for Ortiz from this Yankee fan.
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