David Ortiz, First Ballot Hall of Famer
Just last week, Red Sox nation was full of happiness when former designated hitter and first baseman David Ortiz got the call that he had been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America voted to elect Ortiz to the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot, passing the 75% threshold needed to enter the Hall of Fame. He was able to share the special moment with Hall of Famer and former teammate Pedro Martinez, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2015.
Ortiz has a long and loving history with the Red Sox and the city of Boston. After landing in Massachusetts after being released by the Minnesota Twins in 2003, his career really took off. He played for a total of 14 years for Boston, winning 3 World Series championships with the team in 2004, 2007 and 2013. In 2013, he gave a powerful speech to help heal Boston after the Boston bombing, and he was named the World Series MVP. He was a 10-time All Star and received 7 Silver Slugger Awards. He has come to symbolize the heart of Boston and its sports, loving the city as much as his homeland in the Dominican Republic. When Ortiz retired in 2016, the Red Sox retired his jersey as well, enshrining the Hall of Famer into the history of the franchise.
Speculation and criticism have stirred surrounding Ortiz’s election due to his alleged link to performance enhancing drugs. Other players on this year’s ballot with similar ties to PEDs were not elected to the Hall of Fame, such as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. The perceived snubbing of legendary players such as Bonds and Clemens has led to a lot of discussion as to double standards for players with related allegations of substance use.
