The 50 Greatest Red Sox Players Of All Time
1. David Ortiz
David Ortiz did more for the Boston Red Sox and their fans than any player ever has before. Yes, he’s even a greater Red Sox than Ted Williams. In his time in Boston, Big Papi delivered three World Series titles, the first of which ended the Curse of the Bambino after 86 years.
At 6-foot-3, 230lbs, Ortiz was larger than life around New England. Over his 14 Boston seasons, he clobbered 483 home runs, brought in 1530 RBI, with a .570 slugging percentage. Of course, Ortiz was more than just the numbers, he was the pulse of Boston sports. Papi was clutch.
Boston Red Sox
In 2003, the walkouts began. In 2004, Ortiz helped the Red Sox comeback from down 0-3 to the New York Yankees in the ALCS. Late into the night, or early in the morning, Big Papi delivered.
Time after time, when he was truly needed, Ortiz was able to drive in the winning runs. In 2007, he led the team to yet another World Series title.
In 2013, after the city of Boston was attacked by a coward at the Boston Marathon, Ortiz said what we were all thinking.
"Alright, alright Boston. This jersey that we wear today, it doesn’t say Red sox, it says Boston. We want to thank you Mayor Menino, Governor Patrick and the whole Police Department for the great job they did this past week. This is our f*****g city, and nobody gonna dictate our freedom. Stay strong, thank you."
From that moment, the Red Sox grew into more than just a local sports team, they were Boston’s soul. When they raised the Word Series trophy later that October, Ortiz had cemented his spot as a local legend.
David Ortiz is not just a baseball player. He is a man who poured all of his heart in passion into his team and his adopted city. There will never be another Big Papi. His number will be retired this season, and he should be a sure Hall of Famer.
The Red Sox have had many legends take the field for them at Fenway Park. Did we leave anyone off the list that you think should have been on it? Think someone is ranked too high or too low? Let us know in the comments!