Recent Baseball Claims...All-Time Stuff!!!!

**BDeskins** · 08-12-2006, 07:39 AM

I've been noticing that ESPN, as well as MLB and various ball clubs have been giving out a slew of various named titles, such as the one given to David Ortiz a month, or so ago naming him the all-time greatest clutch-hitter in Red Sox history, which personally I found the claim to be absolute bullshit and actually a disgrace to former Red Sox greats.

Now in several more years if Ortiz continues to hit as he has the past three, or four seasons then he may very well gain the honor of being the greatest clutch-hitter in Red Sox history, but to give him the title based on the entire three and a half years that he has played for Boston and due to the 12, or 13 game-winning, walk off hits that he has accumulated to date.

There is no denying that Ortiz is like a machine, but for the Boston organization to give him that all-time title is really pretty discourteous to guys like Ted Williams, Yaz, Tris Speaker, Jim Rice, Dwight Evans, Jimmy Foxx, Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Wade Boggs, Carlton Fisk, Fred Lynn, Nomar Garciaparra and Mo Vaughn as well as several others that I failed to mention...and also not to forget Mike Greenwell, who in the late 1980s had 23 game winning RBI’s in one season, which no doubt a few of those had to be walk-off game winning hits…and of course another great clutch hitter Manny Ramirez who has been at Boston for six years.

Ortiz has been tremendous for Boston for the four years that he has been here, but to be named the All-Time Greatest Clutch Hitter in Boston Red Sox history by the team, well I think it’s just plain shitty as there is no doubt in my mind that Ted Williams had many, many more walk off game winning hits than Ortiz and the same can probably be said for ¾ of those I mentioned, hell…maybe all of them. I’m not saying this to discredit Ortiz, I just had to vent at what bullshit I felt this was.

As for Ortiz, I think he is a great hitter who loves the game and a wonderful role model for kids, but in only four years he has accomplished enough in the team owner’s eyes to name him the greatest of all-time of an impressive stat for a team that is 105+ years old and a team that had a player that is arguably the greatest hitter to ever play the game in Williams, who out of the 521 career home runs and 1839 career RBI’s no doubt more than 13 of his 2654 career hits were in fact game winning walk-off hits…and the same can be said of around ten more! What do you guys think?

By the way, the Red Sox are not my favorite team!

**DscribeDC** · 08-14-2006, 10:41 AM

ESPN is based in Bristol, CT, and is such a rat's nest of biased Red Sox fans it's nauseating. Notice how the website was running a "Why We Hate A-Rod" story while they were dreaming up whimsical titles for Big Papi? I just tune out that crapfest during the baseball season; it's not worth the aggravation.

**BDeskins** · 08-15-2006, 09:32 AM

Yeah I know...they seem to be pretty much the same about the Patriot's as well.

As far as Ortiz...I love the way he conducts himself on and off the field and he always seems to be enjoying himself on the diamond and though he does deserve praise for his clutch hitting and the offensive numbers he has posted during the past three years it just does not compare to the likes of Ted Williams, or Yaz...not even close and I just feel that it is a complete disservice to those former players and to the sport itself!

Now maybe in 15+ years from now, if Ortiz is still playing and doing well, then he should be mentioned alongside of Williams, Yaz and Rice, but not yet. And for the record, I would prefer to have Manny Ramirez hitting over Ortiz!