Baseball is a huge deal for the Latino community, which is why David Ortiz’s Hall of Fame election is such a big deal for MLB as a whole.
A high percentage of MLB players (and minor leaguers, too) are Latin Americans, and each and every accomplishment is celebrated by the whole community.
Ortiz, who retired in 2016 with one of the best seasons ever for a 40-year-old player, was present in 77.9 percent of the BBWAA (Basebal Writers Association of America) ballots, barely clearing the 75 percent threshold for election.
He is the only player who will be going to Cooperstown this summer.
What Ortiz did was historic from many angles.
A Selected Group
Ortiz became just the fourth Dominican to enter the Hall of Fame.
.@davidortiz is the 4th Dominican-born player elected to the @baseballhall. #HOF2022 pic.twitter.com/loO1Ylj4ce
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) January 26, 2022
Pitcher Juan Marichal was the first one, back in 1983.
After him, Pedro Martinez (a former teammate of Ortiz on the Boston Red Sox, and one of the people at his side at the moment of taking the Hall call) was elected in 2015, and slugger Vladimir Guerrero was enshrined in 2018.
Additionally, Ortiz is one of just a few designated hitters ever to enter the Hall.
Frank Thomas, Paul Molitor, and Edgar Martinez are the other players who played most of the time as designated hitters who were elected to the Hall of Fame.
Ortiz is now joining them, and he is more than deserving, too.
In a brilliant 20-year career, Ortiz hit .286/.380/.552 with 2,472 hits, 541 home runs, and 1,768 RBI.
He was an elite hitter, as evidenced by his 140 wRC+.
The wRC+ stat means weighted Runs Created Plus, and adjust every player’s offensive numbers to external factors, such as era and ballpark, to give everybody an idea about how much better or worse the hitter was according to the average.
In wRC+, 100 is the average value: Ortiz, then, produced 40 percent more than his peers, which is borderline elite.
If you want a more traditional stat, we have his .931 career OPS, which is marvelous.
Ortiz actually spent the first six seasons of his career with the Minnesota Twins, but didn’t really become a star until he landed on the Red Sox, at 27 years old, in 2003.
Ortiz Achieved A Lot For A Late-Bloomer
For such a late bloomer, he completed a fantastic career, full of accomplishments.
He won three World Series, all with the Red Sox (2004, 2007, and 2013), was a 10-time All-Star (2004–2008, 2010–2013, 2016), and earned the ALCS MVP award in 2004 and the World Series MVP award in 2013.
He is also a seven-time winner of the Silver Slugger award and led the American League in home runs in 2006 and in RBI three times (2005, 2006, 2016).
He was such a Red Sox icon that the franchise retired his number 34 and has him in its Hall of Fame.
On top of all that, Ortiz was one of the best postseason performers in the history of the game.
He slashed .289/.404/.543 with 17 homers, 61 RBI, and a .947 OPS in October: an absolute star.
Congratulations to David Ortiz on his HOF acceptance! The best DH of his era and one of the most clutch hitters of all time. Certainly deserving. That being said, it’s a shame & disappointing to not see Bonds, Clemens, & Schilling get in!
— Tony Gwynn Jr. (@tonygwynnjr) January 26, 2022
In many ways, Ortiz’s election to the Hall of Fame was historic.
He is a true hero for his people.
NEXT: David Ortiz Supports Barry Bonds For The Hall Of Fame
