During a season of bad memories for Twins fans, a “nightmare” is back at Target Field—presumably for the last time.
The “nightmare” has a name, David Ortiz. He and his Red Sox teammates play their only series in Minneapolis this weekend starting with tonight’s game and continuing through Sunday. The 40-year-old designated hitter has said this is his last Major League season. If so, local fans won’t be so “haunted” in the future by an All-Star slugger who could have had a dreamy career in this town.
In late August of 1996 the Twins acquired Ortiz in a trade with the Mariners for third baseman Dave Hollins. The move could have turned out to be the best ever made by general manager Terry Ryan. Ortiz was a minor league prospect and first baseman when he joined the Twins, but he participated in 15 big league games starting in 1997 and was with the club at least portions of each season through 2002. During his last year with the Twins he hit 20 home runs and drove in 75 runs.
In the 2002 offseason Ortiz was arbitration eligible and the Twins had to make a decision whether to pay him more money and keep him around. The club had veteran Doug Mientkiewicz at first base and in the minors there was a converted catcher prospect named Justin Morneau. The Twins decided to move on without Ortiz so the Red Sox signed the then first baseman.
Ryan has acknowledged he made a bad decision releasing Ortiz, while the Red Sox front office has been high-fiving from the beginning of the Ortiz era. His first season in Boston, he hit 31 home runs and drove in 101 runs. Perhaps the greatest hitter in Red Sox history except for the immortal Ted Williams, Ortiz has 519 career home runs. Only 21 big leaguers have ever hit more.
Ortiz has been a major contributor to the best run in Red Sox history starting in 2004. He has played on three World Series championship teams during that span and was the 2013 series MVP.
This season the Red Sox, 34-25, are contenders in the American League East. Guess who is leading the club in most major hitting categories? Yeah, it’s the old man who is batting the ball around ballparks so productively he is a candidate to win the Triple Crown.
Ortiz is hitting .338 with 16 home runs and 55 RBI. He ranks third in average, and fourth in home runs among American League hitters, and is first in RBI. He is also the league leader in slugging and on-base percentages.
In other words, the Twins still miss this guy even as he approaches his 41st birthday in November and makes a farewell tour of MLB parks. The Giants honored him in San Francisco earlier this week and the Twins will do the same this weekend.
Among Twins players who will have some of their last looks at the man nicknamed Big Papi is Miguel Sano. Too bad the 6-3, 230-pound Ortiz isn’t in a Twins uniform where he could mentor Sano. Both players are from the Dominican Republic. Sano is 22 years old and has Big Papi potential but his professional approach to his work is being questioned. As a Twin, Ortiz could have been a mentor, a major influence on Sano who has struggled learning to play right field and has seen his batting average fall drastically from last season’s .269.
Ortiz has shaped a good-guy image off the field. He has developed the David Ortiz Children’s Fund that assists kids in New England and the Dominican Republic with pediatric care. In 2011 he was honored with the Roberto Clemente Award given annually to a major leaguer who best represents the game on and off the field.
Yes, when the Twins parted ways with Ortiz they said goodbye to an eventual megastar and leader. But if you want to remember—and not forget him—here are a couple of suggestions. Show up at Target Field this weekend, or visit Bigpapi.com where his website celebrates “the end of an era with David Ortiz.” Memorabilia available for purchase ranges from coffee cups to bases.
Worth Noting
With a major league worst 17-40 record, the Twins aren’t headed for any championships this season but 25 years ago the franchise had a club that would win the 1991 World Series. That team started slow but took off in June with a season best month of 22-6.
Minnesota native Harvey Mackay and wife Carol Ann are in Louisville today for the Muhammad Ali memorial service. The two have been close friends of Ali, who died last week, and his spouse Lonnie Ali. The couples frequently enjoyed dinners together.
The service for Ali will be held at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville this afternoon with about 15,000 expected to attend and millions following the event around the world. Celebrities expected include Bill Clinton, Billy Crystal, Bryant Gumbel, Steve Wynn and heads of state.
The outpouring of sympathies extended to Lonnie and the Ali family has come from various parts of the world as media coverage reported the passing of a man whose popularity transcended his legendary boxing career. “In my lifetime I have never seen anything like the media explosion on his passing. He had the most recognizable face in the world,” said Mackay, a 1954 University of Minnesota graduate.
Mackay, who played golf for the Gophers before establishing Minneapolis-based Mackay Envelope and becoming a New York Times bestselling author, has drafted an article on Ali for his syndicated business column. The column focusing on lessons learned from Ali will be printed in a couple of weeks in various U.S. newspapers including the Star Tribune.
Timberwolves fans may do a double take when they next see Tyus Jones. The Minnesota native and Wolves point guard has changed his body, becoming more muscular with off-season training this spring in California.
The Minnesota Wild announced that $15,635 was raised as part of the event held at the BMO Harris Bank in Edina last month to help support people affected by the devastating wildfires around Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada. Wild players Erik Haula, Zach Parise, Jason Pominville, Nate Prosser, Jared Spurgeon and Jason Zucker signed autographs for fans who donated $50 and the Minnesota Wild Foundation is providing an additional $5,000 to the Red Cross. All proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross to support those affected by the wildfires in Alberta.
With free admission to the Tapemark Charity Pro-Am, the public is welcome to watch professional and amateur golfers at Southview Country Club in West St. Paul. The men’s event begins today, with competition continuing through Sunday. The women’s event will be Saturday and Sunday.
The men’s field includes last year’s champion Ryan Helminen who three times has won the tournament. Seven-time champ Don Berry and four-time winner Dave Tentis will also play. Two-time titlist Martha Nause is part of the women’s field.
For over 44 years the Tapemark Charity Pro-Am has been raising money to help people with developmental disabilities. The Tapemark has raised and donated more than $7 million to nonprofits serving the disabled and their families. More at Tapemarkgolf.org.