Fourteen great moments of David Ortiz

BOSTON — The statistics that Dominican David Ortiz accumulated, especially during his years with the Red Sox, are obvious. However, his career was marked by specific moments.

Here are Big Papi’s greatest moments (in chronological order) since he helped change the Red Sox’s destiny by arriving in Boston before the 2003 season — and changed his own path to the Hall of Fame, chosen Tuesday by the Baseball Writers Association of North America (BBWAA).

1. The first home run with the Red Sox

It’s easy to forget that Ortiz was a part-time player for the first two months of his first season with the Red Sox. So on the night of April 27, 2003, when Boston was visiting the Angels on a Sunday night broadcast on ESPN throughout the United States, Ortiz started the game on the bench. But manager Grady Little called him up to pinch hit in the top of the 14th inning and the left-handed slugger answered with a go-ahead home run, his number one with the Red Sox.

2. Start of the legend in the postseason

Ortiz’s first big postseason hit came in Game 4 of the 2003 AL Division Series against the A’s. With the Red Sox trailing 2-1 in the series and the game trailing Oakland 4-3, Ortiz entered the batter’s box with two on and two out in the bottom of the eighth. Facing future teammate Keith Foulke, Ortiz hit a two-run double off the bullpen wall to right field, giving Boston the lead. The series moved to Oakland, where the Red Sox won Game 5 the next day, overcoming a 0-2 deficit to advance to the ALCS.

There are few things more exciting for a baseball player than ending a postseason series with a home run. That’s what Ortiz did in Game 3 of the 2004 ALDS, throwing a pitch from Jarrod Washburn over the Green Monster in the bottom of the 10th inning to complete a three-game sweep of the Angels. It was the first time Ortiz had thrown the helmet just before reaching home plate — a future career brand — and being greeted by his teammates.

4. Saved at the last minute

For all the talk of Dave Roberts and his legendary stolen base in helping the Red Sox tie ALCS Game 4 in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Yankees, the game was still on in the 12th act. . Ortiz had the big hit, a walk-off home run off a Paul Quantrill slider. Although the Red Sox were still down 3-1 in the series, Ortiz made it clear that the impossible could happen.

5. Another day, another golden hit

Who else but Ortiz to hit gold in extra innings two days in a row with the Red Sox on the brink of elimination. In Game 5 of the 2004 ALCS, Boston trailed 4-2 in the eighth. Ortiz started the comeback with a long homer over the Green Monster off the Yankees’ Tom Gordon. The Red Sox tied the game a little later in the inning, but the game was still tied in the 14th when Ortiz went on a 10-pitch at-bat against Esteban Loaiza that included six fouls.

Ortiz unleashed the madness again, this time with a soft ball that landed off Bernie Williams in center field, enough for Johnny Damon to score the winning run, sending the series back to New York.

The Red Sox, aided by Ortiz’s two-run shot in the first inning of Game 7, have won the last two games in the Bronx to become the first — and so far only — team to overcome an 0 deficit. -3 in a postseason series.

6. “The most clutch hitter in the history of the Boston Red Sox”

Sometime in the 2005 season, Red Sox owner John Henry had a plaque made for Ortiz that read, “The clutchest hitter in Boston Red Sox history, David Ortiz, No. 34”, and was simply waiting for the right moment to give it to him.

After Ortiz hit a walk-off home run off Scot Shields to sink the Angels on the night of Sept. 6, 2005, Henry found Ortiz in the clubhouse and handed him the plaque. All these years later, nobody can say that the registration is not correct.

Between 1938 and 2005, Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx held the record for most home runs in a season with the Red Sox, with 50 shots. But by the middle of the 2006 season, it was becoming increasingly clear that Ortiz had a real shot at breaking that record. When July ended, Ortiz had 37 home runs. Big Papi broke the record on Sept. 21, 2006, against the Twins, the team that released him more than three years earlier. The palazo was against the Venezuelan Johan Santana, one of the best pitchers in the game at that time. Ortiz finished the season with 54 home runs, a mark that still stands today.

8. “This is our…city.”

For several years, Ortiz had already been a fixture in the Boston community. But it hit another level on April 20, 2013. The city was buzzing with emotion for several days after the Boston Marathon bombing, and Ortiz took the microphone to address fans at Fenway before the first game after the attack. “This is our ——- city and no one will limit our freedoms,” Ortiz exclaimed. In that moment, Ortiz showed that he felt the same way as most Bostonians.

9. The grand slam that turned the series around

The Red Sox were shut out by the Tigers in Game 1 of the 2013 ALCS, falling 1-0. And they were down 5-1 with two outs in the eighth inning of Game 2. Not only that, but Justin Verlander was armed and ready to take the mound for the Cats in Game 3. Fortunately for the Red Sox, it was the moment for Ortiz to hit. And he hit one of the most dramatic home runs of his career — a game-tying grand slam that forced Torii Hunter over the fence in right field. The image of Boston official Steve Horgan raising his arms in the bullpen is iconic.

Five innings into Game 4 of the 2013 World Series in St. Louis, the Boston team was playing a little tense, and Ortiz noticed. Rather than watch that continue, the slugger decided to take action. Ortiz rallied his teammates in the dugout before the start of the sixth inning, telling them they might never get to play in a World Series and that they needed to take advantage of the opportunity while they had it. Jonny Gomes hit a three-run homer in the same inning and the Red Sox won the game to tie the series 2-2.

They didn’t lose again afterward, clinching the title at Fenway in Game 6. For his part, Ortiz had one of the most dominant performances in Fall Classic history, hitting .688. He went 6-for-7 in crucial Game 4 and 5 wins that tipped the series in Boston’s favor.

Heading into the 2015 season, Ortiz needed 34 home runs — his uniform number — to reach 500 in his career. Sure, he hit 35 in 2014, but at 39, some wondered if it was realistic for him to pull off a similar campaign. It didn’t look like that was going to happen when he entered June 10 hitting .219 with six homers. But then it went on until the end of the season. On September 12, playing against the Rays at Tropicana Field, Ortiz hit two home runs to reach 500. His teammates stood at the plate to celebrate with him.

12. Ortiz hits a HR on behalf of Maverick

In the first game of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry of 2016 on April 29, Ortiz sent Dellin Betances’ first pitch into the Green Monster’s seats to put Boston up for a 4-2 victory. On its own it was a great moment, but there was another story behind it all. Ortiz had promised a six-year-old named Maverick Schutte during a pregame conversation that he would hit a home run for him that day. It was a wonderful thing for Maverick, who was born with a heart defect that had already forced him to undergo 30 operations in his few years of life. Several weeks later, Maverick traveled to Boston from his home in Wyoming and threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway with Big Papi as catcher.

13. Outdoing Ted Williams

Only Ortiz would be in charge of overcoming three members of the Hall of Fame with a hit. That was the case at Fenway Park on the night of July 1, 2016, when he hit his 522nd homer to pass Ted Williams, Willie McCovey and Frank Thomas. Considering what Williams meant to the history of both the Red Sox and baseball, Ortiz did not hesitate to express how much he appreciated the feat.

“Like I said before, it’s always nice when your name is next to Mr. Williams. The man did everything.

14. The Farewell at Fenway

In a ceremony honoring Ortiz, a street and bridge were named after him before the final game of the 2016 regular season. It was also announced that the number 34 would be retired at Fenway Park the following year. Ortiz is the first player in Red Sox history to have his number retired a year after ending his career. In an emotional ceremony, Ortiz got down on one knee to thank the Boston crowd.

But there was also a key hit in the final series at home, a two-run homer early in the series against Toronto to propel the Red Sox to a 4-2 victory.

“A great player who always shows his face,” said his teammate at the time, Jackie Bradley Jr.