Red Sox slugger David Ortiz smashes 500th career home run
The 500-home run club welcomed its newest member Saturday in Tampa Bay when Boston masher David Ortiz hit a 428-foot solo blast to right field at Tropicana Field off Rays pitcher Matt Moore
He rumbled around the bases in the fifth inning with a thick gold chain bouncing off his shoulders and chest.
It was the second home run of the day for the 39-year-old product of the Dominican Republic. He hit a three-run shot in the first inning off Moore. It traveled 364 feet.
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Ortiz already is considered one of the great slugggers of this era. Now he will be forever associated with some of the greatest power hitters in history such as Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson and Ernie Banks. He became the fourth player from the Red Sox to hit 500 home runs, joining Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, and Manny Ramirez.
The Boston Globe reported that Ortiz was scheduled to rest on Saturday but he talked his way into the lineup in a conversation with interim manager Torey Lovullo.
“He wanted to play,” Lovullo told the Globe before the game. “There really wasn’t much thought that was put into it . . . If the big man runs the court, you’ve got to get him the ball. That’s how I look at it. He felt good about where he was with his body and I want to get him in there as often as possible.”
Ortiz played his first six seasons in the major leagues with Minnesota, but hit only 58 of his home runs for the Twins. The rest have come as a member of the Red Sox, including 34 now this season.
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Ortiz has nine seasons with 30 home runs or more, including three straight seasons with at least 41 homers (2004-06) He hit a career-best 54 home runs in 2006. It was the only season in his career he has led the American League in home runs.
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Kyle Ringo is a contributing writer to Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo
