Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
The last time the Boston Red Sox were in the World Series, they were led by the man who has been leading them for the past decade – David Ortiz. Big Papi batted .370 in the playoffs in 2004 with 3 home runs and 10 RBIs. He also had a team-leading 16 runs scored.
After recording his first 40+ home run season in the Major Leagues, Ortiz followed up in the playoffs by keeping his stride and showing why the Red Sox acquired him a few years earlier. It was a great start for a player who would become the face of the Red Sox and arguably the MLB.
Ortiz had a great supporting cast around him as well. There was contributions from rookies you might have heard of: Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Jon Lester. It’s hard to believe that those guys were in their early 20’s back then and have been playing for so long already. They are finally back in the World Series to repeat what they accomplished as rookies.
Ortiz can be credited with being a leader in the World Series against the Colorado Rockies, but the Red Sox were such a dominant team as they completed the sweep in 4 games. Two games were blowouts and two games were close, but Boston was loaded with offensive firepower and aided by the determination to end their World Series curse.
With the excellent pitching on the St. Louis Cardinals’ staff, Ortiz will need as much help as he got last time around in the Fall Classic if he and the Red Sox hope to hoist the trophy once again. Maybe he can convince his teammates to finally shave their Santa Claus beards if they do.