9 statistical goals for David Ortiz before he retires
On his 40th birthday, David Ortiz announced his plan to retire following the 2016 season.
The longtime Red Sox designated hitter has played 19 seasons in the majors, the last 13 in Boston after six with the Minnesota Twins. With one more season to go in his storied career, Big Papi has some reachable goals.
Here are nine of them:
1. Ortiz will enter the 2016 season with 2,303 career hits, tied with Aramis Ramirez for 138th on MLB’s all-time list. Ortiz had 144 hits in 2015 and 150 more in 2016 will give him one more than Jim Rice and Torii Hunter, good for 99th place.
2. Ortiz has 1,910 hits with the Sox and is currently in seventh place on the franchise list. He needs 133 more to pass Bobby Doerr for sixth place.
3. Ortiz has 503 career homers, making him MLB’s 27th most prolific home run hitter of all time. Thirty-two more longballs would give him one more than Jimmie Foxx, good for 18th place and two behind Mickey Mantle for 17th place.
4. Big Papi has nine seasons with 30 or more home runs, tying him with Mark Teixeira, Miguel Cabrera, Adam Dunn, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey, Jr., Frank Thomas, and Mickey Mantle. A 10th season with at least 30 dingers would pull him even with Rafael Palmeiro, Fred McGriff, Harmon Killebrew, Eddie Matthews, and Lou Gehrig. There are only 14 players with more than 10 seasons with 30+ home runs.
5. Big Papi has 445 homers with the Sox, third-most in franchise history, just seven behind Carl Yastrzemski. Ted Williams is on the top of the list with 521.
6. Ortiz has 1,641 career RBI, good for 28th on MLB’s all-time list. He had 108 in 2015 and he needs 64 to pass Frank Thomas and end his career 20th all time.
7. Ortiz is one of 10 players in MLB history with nine 100+ RBI seasons, a group that includes Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. A 10th 100-RBI season in 2016 will pull him even with Vladimir Guerrero, Rafael Palmeiro, Joe Carter, Willie Mays and Stan Musial. There are only 12 players with more than 10 100-RBI seasons.
8. Ortiz is in 16th place on MLB’s all-time list with 584 career doubles. Ortiz had 37 doubles last season and he needs 22 in 2016 to finish in ninth place. With 40 doubles he can tie Hank Aaron for eighth place. Ortiz has 476 doubles during his years in Boston and will finish third on the Red Sox’ all-time franchise list behind Ted Williams (525) and Carl Yastrzemski (646).
9. While Heinie Wagner briefly played for the 1912, 1915, 1916 and 1918 World Series champion Red Sox teams, he only appeared in the World Series in 1912. Next season, David Ortiz will attempt to join Harry Hooper as the only Red Sox player to appear in four winning World Series. Hooper played in 26 career Series games in 1912, 1915, 1916, and 1918. David Ortiz has played for world champion Sox teams in 14 Series games in 2004, 2007, and in 2013 when he won the MVP award.
Presumably, Ortiz will be the last member of the Red Sox to wear No. 34. Prior to Papi, the last member of the Sox to wear that number? El Guapo, Rich Garces.
The walk-off hits of David Ortiz
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