Three time World Series Champion, David Ortiz was interviewed recently by The Player’s Tribune, and openly decreed that he is a Baseball Hall of Fame worthy inductee. This made a few headlines, so we here at Notinhalloffame.com thought we would take a quick look at his Cooperstown credentials, but first let’s go over a few quotes from the piece:
"I never knowingly took any steroids. And this, too: "I deserve to be in the Hall of Fame."
The “knowingly” part refers to being named in the Mitchell Report where by in 2009 it was released that he was one of the 104 plus players who tested positive for banned substances in 2003.
“I will always be considered a cheater…nobody in baseball has been tested more often for performance-enhancing drugs -- more than 80 times since 2004. I have never failed a single one of those tests and I never will.”
I've won three World Series since MLB introduced comprehensive drug testing. I've performed year after year after year. But if a bunch of writers who have never swung a bat want to tell me it's all for nothing, OK. Why do they write my legacy? In 75 years, when I'm dead and gone, I won't care if I'm in the Hall of Fame. I won't care if a bunch of baseball writers know the truth about who I am in my soul and what I have done in this game. I care that my children know the truth.”
While we have heard of players frustration that their Hall of Fame induction is based on writers, the question that remains is whether Ortiz is truly a Hall of Famer. Taking away the stain of potential PED use, you do have a player with some solid credentials but also has some questions that can be asked.
Owning three rings is very impressive, and far too often the post season accomplishments of baseball players don’t come up in the conversation when talking about the Hall of Fame. Ortiz has not been a playoff bystander, earning an ALCS MVP, and owning a Slash Line of .295/.409/.553 with 17 Home Runs and 60 Runs Batted In.
Ortiz also brings to the table over 450 Home Runs, nine All Star appearances, six Silver Slugger Awards and from 2003 to 2007 was voted into the top five in American League MVP voting, and remember he isn’t done yet.
What works against him is his relatively low career bWAR (47.7), a metric that is increasing in importance, he was a weak defender and is essentially a Designated Hitter, a position that has not yielded one player into the Hall of Fame, unless you count Paul Molitor. This does not even include the PED shadow.
If Ortiz were to retire today, and if we had a Hall of Fame ballot, I don’t know if I would induct him, at least not with the crowded ballot that currently exists and it will be very curious to see if others feel the same way.
Having said that, his book isn’t written yet and we applaud any active athlete who doesn’t give cliché responses to questions and will be watching Ortiz this season to see what he might add to his resume this year.
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