Ten Things About Big Papi’s 500 Home Runs

With a fifth inning home run off Tampa Ray pitcher Matt Moore, Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz became the 27^th player with 500 regular season home runs.

Here are ten things you might not have known about Big Papi’s 500 home runs.

2002

After every home run David Ortiz hits, the slugger looks to the heavens and points, honoring his mother, Angela Rosa Arias, who died in a January 1, 2002 car accident. She was 46.

560

Sure, it’s not really home run related, but it might be the coolest number on the list. In the 2013, Boston mayoral election, David Ortiz finished third behind Martin Walsh (72,514 votes) and John Connolly (67,606) with 560 votes. All write-ins.

482

On April 22, 2014, David Ortiz sent a Masahiro Tanaka pitch deep to center field for what has been (so far) the longest home run of his career…482 feet!

270

On September 17, 2009, David Ortiz hit his 270^th career home run as a designated hitter, breaking the then-record held by Frank Thomas. Since then, he’s increased his total to 444.

54

In 2006, David Ortiz secured his legacy with the Boston Red Sox with a team-record 54 home runs. The previous team-high was 50 by Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx in 1938.

41

When Boston ended their 86-year World Series drought in 2004, they became the first champion since the 1961 New York Yankees to feature two players with more than 40 home runs. David Ortiz had 41 and Manny Ramirez had 43.

32

Also in 2006, David Ortiz tied the legendary Babe Ruth for the American League single-season home run record in road games. Of his 54 home runs hit, 32 were hit away from Fenway, with seven hit at Tropicana Field.

17

You won’t get too far into any conversation about David Ortiz without hearing about his postseason heroics. Through 82 postseason games, the slugger has 17 home runs, including three in the World Series. By comparison, former teammate Manny Ramirez has the most all-time…29.

7

For season consecutive seasons (2000-2006), David Ortiz increased his home run total in each of the seasons. Going from a mere ten home runs in 2000 with the Minnesota Twins to a career-high 54 in 2006 for the Boston Red Sox.

2

During the Boston Red Sox historic 2004 World Series run, David Oriz became the first player to hit two walk-off home runs in the same postseason. The first was the series-clinching Game 3 of the ALDS versus the Anaheim Angels. The second was nine days later against the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the ALCS. Both walk-offs were in extra innings.