Boston Red Sox: David Ortiz in the Hall of Fame is a no brainer

For Boston sports fans, Tom Brady was the pinnacle of what to expect from this region when it comes to professional sports teams. Performing at a high level and doing it consistently. The only other athlete that comes close to leaving the mark on Boston sports that Tom Brady did was David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox.

Ortiz was the oil in the machine that engineered three World Series titles spanning from 2004-2013, and established the Boston Red Sox as a perennial title contender when they were once considered lovable losers.

The impact that Ortiz had at the plate was nothing short of astronomical. He was one of the most intimidating hitters that a pitcher could face during his time in Boston and was one of the most clutch hitters in the modern era of baseball.

The Boston Red Sox wouldn’t be the same without David Ortiz

Did better pure hitters exist? Sure, but not many, and none with the ability to rise to the occasion in a big moment quite like Big Papi.

Back-to-back walk-offs in Game 4 and Game 5 of the 2004 ALCS helped the Sox rally from a 3-0 series deficit over the hated New York Yankees, and that was just the beginning of Ortiz’s legacy. For the better part of the next decade Ortiz was one of the best power hitters in the sport.

With that said, Ortiz’s most iconic moment came with a microphone in his hand rather than a bat. After the Boston marathon bombing, the city was shook. In the first game back at Fenway Park since the bombing occurred, with first responders on the field, Ortiz delivered the iconic “this is our [bleeping] city” line that became a rallying cry and propelled the Red Sox to another postseason run.

The World Series win in 2013 didn’t fully heal the damage done from the marathon bombing, but it did provide the city with a reason to celebrate. Also, who could forget one of the biggest moments of the postseason that year being Ortiz’s grand slam to tie Game 2 of the ALCS against the Detroit Tigers?

Not even Brady could have made a statement on or off the field that could lift the city up from rock bottom the way that Ortiz did. His mark has forever been left not just on the Red Sox, but the New England area as a whole. He will forever be remembered as one of the most iconic athletes to ever suit up and play in Boston.

The argument can be made that certain players didn’t make the Hall of Fame that should have, but don’t make that argument at Ortiz’s expense. For a rare time in the last few years, this is one call that the voters got right.