The Transformation of David Ortiz - Gary Armida's Blog

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Gary Armida's Blog

The Transformation of David Ortiz Stuck

Posted on June 29, 2012 at 10:37 AM.

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Some may not realize it, but the Boston Red Sox are now one of the best teams in the American League. On Wednesday, they pounded the Blue Jays� Ricky Romero for six runs in the first inning and then added four more, the Red Sox cruised to a 10-4 victory over the reeling Jays. For the Red Sox, it was victory number 40 this season, putting them in a tie for third place in the AL East. This marks the first time they have not been in fourth or fifth place all season. Last night, they suffered a 1-0 loss to Felix Hernandez. With stories of chaos and discontent still surrounding them, few have noticed that the Red Sox have posted a record of 36-26 since their 4-10 start. That 10th loss was the game when they gave up a nine run lead against the Yankees.

But, the Baseball season usually allows for talent to take over. The Red Sox, even with their injuries, are a talented team. Bobby Valentine also has a way of extracting maximum production from role players. He took a Mets team to a World Series that fielded an outfield of Benny Agbayani, Jay Payton, and Derek Bell. The Red Sox outfield has seen the likes of Daniel Nava, Ryan Sweeney, Scott Podsednik, Cody Ross, and Ryan Kalish. Valentine, despite the seeming madness, knows exactly what he is doing.

Amid all of the chaos, however, David Ortiz was performing. Ortiz not only produced, but he has now become the spokesperson for the Red Sox. And, he is the last link to that 2004 team, the team that was the first Red Sox club to win a World Series title. It was just a few years ago when there was talk that David Ortiz was done as a feared Major League hitter. Manny Ramirez was dealt to the Dodgers and Ortiz was without his protection in the order. He started slow and was actually booed at Fenway Park.

Yet, he maintained that he could still hit, almost indignant at the fact that he was being questioned. It was the the first time that the perceived gentle and lovable Big Papi showed a different side. There was a fierce competitor there. Manager Terry Francona stuck with his guy, the guy who was the difference making offensive addition to the organization back in 2003. It was Ortiz who solidified the lineup and helped bring two World Series titles.

And now, Ortiz finds himself in the midst of a renaissance. Last season, he hit .309/.398/.554 with 29 homeruns, his best season since 2007. This season, he is hitting .309/.399/.628 with 21 homeruns. Despite all of the injuries and all of the chaos this season and the collapse of last season, it has been David Ortiz who has carried the franchise. He made the difference when he first came to Boston and he has been the steady force as Boston transitions from the old dynasty to the rebuilding of a new one.

Over the past few seasons, Ortiz has maintained that he wants a long term deal with the Red Sox to finish out his career. Many scoffed given his recent slow starts and seemingly declining homerun totals. But, since turning 34 and clearly making some adjustments at the plate, Ortiz has hit .293/.387/.559 with 99 doubles, 2 triples, 82 homeruns, and 251 RBI. At 36 years old, he is still one of the most productive hitters in the game.

A free agent to be, Ortiz is justified for one last contract, perhaps a three or four year deal at elite money. With many teams looking to use the DH as a rotation spot for their position players, Ortiz is the player the designated hitter role was made for. He is one of the few, true power hitters in the game.

Now, Ortiz is looking to hit homerun number 400. He is approaching statistics that could make him the best designated hitter of all-time. He likely will be regarded as the second best of all-time as Edgar Martinez has a career line of .318/.418/.515. While Ortiz could finish close to 500 homeruns, Martinez on base percentage is Hall of Fame elite status. In terms of WAR, Martinez was a 64 WAR player for his 18 year career. Ortiz is 36 WAR player over his 16 seasons. That is a significant difference and may be the ultimate deciding factor when it comes to ranking the two.

However, the argument could be made that David Ortiz has been the single most important offensive player during the Red Sox dynasty that began with the 2003 playoffs. He not only provided stability and balance in the batting order, but he is a career .288/.388/.520 hitter during his seven years in the playoffs. No matter the situation or stakes, Ortiz performed to his career norms. His production did not change. As the players changed around him, Ortiz adjusted. He took a bit to adjust to life without Manny Ramirez, but his last three seasons speak volumes as to how he has figured it out.

He now takes on a different role for the Red Sox. During the early years, Ortiz was the fun, loveable Big Papi who just swatted homeruns and played with a smile on his face. Other players, whether it was Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez, Kevin Millar, Johnny Damon, Curt Schilling or Dustin Pedroia, were the face of the franchise. Ortiz still got attention, but he rarely had to speak about team matters.

After last season�s collapse, the negative attention is at an all-time high in Boston. Ortiz is now the one defending the club. He�s the one taking the leadership role, responding to criticism, and trying to keep the dynasty alive. He criticizes the organization, takes on the media, and seems to be trying to keep the dignity of the Red Sox intact.

Now, the Red Sox are in the thick of a pennant race. They are 6.5 games behind in the AL East race, but just 1.5 games behind in the Wild Card race. With the Orioles tumbling towards reality and the Red Sox starting to get some of their other players back like Carl Crawford, the second half of the season will be a pennant race. They�ve made it through the chaos and the early season issues.

One of the main reasons for that has been the transformation of David Ortiz. He is back to being one of the most feared hitters in the game. More importantly, he�s no longer just Big Papi, the smiling, lovable goliath who just swatted homeruns. He�s now David Ortiz, a leader, a spokesperson, and the one who carried the team while the rest of the baseball world left them for dead. He was the one who started the dynasty back in 2003. He�s now the one trying to keep it alive in 2012.