One of the three best acquisitions
01:00 AM EDT on Sunday, September 28, 2003
In his first year with the Red Sox, David Ortiz actually had two, distinct seasons -- "B.T." and "A.T."
"B.T.," which stands for "Before the Trade" of Shea Hillenbrand on May 29 to Arizona for submarine-style right-hander, Ortiz was just your basic poor-fielding first baseman with an inconsistent, though powerful bat. He was hitting only .263 on May 25 in only 95 at-bats.
But "A.T.," which stands for "After the Trade," Ortiz got his chance to be in the lineup on a more regular basis, and he made good use of the opportunity, establishing career bests in home runs and RBI.
"It's not easy," said Ortiz earlier in the year of his sporadic duty. "Put me in the lineup every day and let's see."
What the Sox saw was a Mo Vaughn-like presence who gave Manny Ramirez plenty of protection in the batting order, following Boston's cleanup hitter. Ortiz, who was cast adrift by Minnesota in the offseason before signing on with Boston as a free agent, was a veritable extra-base-hit machine.
Ortiz, a left-handed hitter, deftly hit the ball the other way, off and over the Green Monster, a la Vaughn. But Ortiz, used almost exclusively as a designated hitter the second half of the season, also displayed power to dead center and to right.
Best of all, Ortiz proved to be a Yankee killer, particularly in his first three games in Yankee Stadium as a member of the Red Sox. Ortiz went 6-for-13 (.462) in this games, with four homers and five RBI. He hit a pair of homers in back-to-back games July 4-5, including one titanic drive.
Ortiz, without question, fulfilled the promise that was expressed by general manager Theo Epstein upon signing the 6-foot-4, 230-pounder last Jan. 19.
"We feel he has a very high ceiling," said Epstein at the time.
Ortiz's production went through the roof.
As a result, when the season drew to a close, David Ortiz, a frustrated 27-year-old trying to force his way into the lineup on a regular basis in late May, had stamped himself as a legitimate Most Valuable Player candidate.
-- STEVEN KRASNER
