Big Papi

[DaveW]

If the Twins didn't let Ortiz walk over 1.5 million, how many more playoff series and World Series would they have won?

 

I'm saying minimum of 4 more playoff series and at least one World Series title.

 

Congrats on 500 HR big Papi!

[Hrbowski]

 

If the Twins didn't let Ortiz walk over 1.5 million, how many more playoff series and World Series would they have won?

I'm saying minimum of 4 more playoff series and at least one World Series title.

Congrats on 500 HR big Papi!

If the Twins hadn't let Ortiz walk he would never have become Big Papi, he just wouldn't have fit into the lineup, they had to have some veterans like Rondell White and Ruben Sierra to motivate the team to win.

[Twinsoholic]

Stupidist move the Twins made. 2nd stupidist was trying to force him to hit singles to the opposite field. But then Tom Kelly never did anything wrong (he and Mauer are Saints who can do no wrong).

[Halsey Hall]

I was really let down when we let David leave, but happy he did hit the 500 mark.  Good for him!

[Benchwarmerjim]

If he would of stayed with the Twins and did what he did, he would have been traded for magic beans or let go to free agency because there is no way the Twins could afford him.

 

 

 

[Rosterman]

It would've been interesting to see how the Twins would've handled his salaryand demands. Considering that Big Papi has only made $143 million in his career -- less than Mauer, far less that an extended contract for Santana would've cost at the time for the same period. He never really priced himself out of the marketplace except that decision-making year where the Twins didn't want to pay him a 20% cut or go to arbitration and the Red Sox were lucky to sign him for what they did after pretty much every other team passed on the guy. It is the unique problem with players at that point in their careers. You can't sign them for cheap as the owning team, you have to follow contract rules and such. But if put out there, anotehr team can offer and sign them for pretty much what you may have wished to sign them for, but not able to because of the mechanics of the system.

 

Not sure how his Fenway numbers would've transferred to the Metrodome and now Target Field. But he will always be remember as the Minnesota Twins Babe Ruth fiasco.

 

[John Bonnes]

Maybe none. He might not have done steroids if he had stayed with the Twins.

 

[howieramone2]

2002 seems like just yesterday.

[Kwak]

 

Maybe none. He might not have done steroids if he had stayed with the Twins.

When was Ortiz proven to be a PED user?  I had not heard this before.

[glunn]

According to the article linked below, "Remember, back in 2009, there was a report that Ortiz failed the drug-testing survey in 2003 that was required to be kept anonymous by Major League Baseball. More than 100 others failed and were never outed, yet Ortiz was. And that has stuck with him ever since, despite now having played 11 seasons since with a testing system in place and never, ever failing one. Not one."

 

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/25294487/steroid-stigma-unfair-to-500-home-run-club-member-david-ortiz

 

 

[jokin]

 

According to the article linked below, "Remember, back in 2009, there was a report that Ortiz failed the drug-testing survey in 2003 that was required to be kept anonymous by Major League Baseball. More than 100 others failed and were never outed, yet Ortiz was. And that has stuck with him ever since, despite now having played 11 seasons since with a testing system in place and never, ever failing one. Not one."

 

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/25294487/steroid-stigma-unfair-to-500-home-run-club-member-david-ortiz

 

Thanks for the clarification. Was the "report" cited definitive, or just a rumor?

[glunn]

 

Thanks for the clarification. Was the "report" cited definitive, or just a rumor?

My sense is that this was a leak that Ortiz never denied.  In my mind, this is more than a rumor but less than definitive.  Others probably know more.

[DaveW]

 

Maybe none. He might not have done steroids if he had stayed with the Twins.

Hot sports take alert!

 

First off: Ortiz showed he had great power before the Twins even got rid of him, in his last two seasons for the Twins (both as a part time player) he had 38 HR in 712 At bats along with 49 doubles. (.822 OPS)

 

Second: The Twins have had players busted of steroid use as well. The steroid argument is tiring, did Papi maybe use them? Sure. But so did at least 30% of the league at that point (conservative estimate) But last I checked ever since the "crack down" he is still mashing 30+ HR a season as an old man.

[sftwinsfan]

I'm with those people who don't think David Ortiz would have had near the career if the Twins would have kept him as he's had in Boston.  He did have power while he was with the Twins but not nearly the power he ended up with in Boston to hit the ball out to any field.  A story has always stuck with me that when Doug Mientkiewitcz ended up joining him in Boston he remarked at how Ortiz had gone from being embarrassed to be in the weight room to suddenly being the king of the weight room.  That combined with his BFF being Manny Ramirez I think he got himself on some pretty good stuff.  

[drjim]

He might of been the type of player that had to be released to reach his potential.

 

Signed for $1.5 mil when the Twins would have owed him $2.5ish. Any team could have taken him on.

 

Still, without question, the biggest mistake of Ryan's career.

[RaymondLuxuryYacht]

Do you think people in Seattle are upset that they traded Ortiz for Dave Hollins? 

[Seth Stohs]

 

Maybe none. He might not have done steroids if he had stayed with the Twins.

 

Though the Twins track record on this says that may not be the case either.

 

Either way, it's amazing what the perception of being a great guy and being really good with the media will do for a guy, right? 

[DaveW]

Though the Twins track record on this says that may not be the case either.

 

Either way, it's amazing what the perception of being a great guy and being really good with the media will do for a guy, right?

being a good ball player helps. Yankee fans have pretty much sainted ARod because he is suddenly good again.

[sane]

"If the Twins didn't let Ortiz walk over 1.5 million, how many more playoff series and World Series would they have won?"

 

If Twins' fans could have let it go, how many mental health facilities would have been forced to close in Minnesota?

[Thrylos]

 

Still, without question, the biggest mistake of Ryan's career.

 

Hold it.  Lots of mistakes in Ryan's career.  Matter of fact, this season might be proof that hiring Gardenhire over Molitor in 2002 might had been even bigger than getting rid of Ortiz so he could retain LeCroy. 

And nothing bigger than castrating this team in the late 1990s, so Pohlad could move it or contract it under the eyes of disinterested locals.

[drjim]

Hold it. Lots of mistakes in Ryan's career. Matter of fact, this season might be proof that hiring Gardenhire over Molitor in 2002 might had been even bigger than getting rid of Ortiz so he could retain LeCroy.

And nothing bigger than castrating this team in the late 1990s, so Pohlad could move it or contract it under the eyes of disinterested locals.

Not usually a mistake to follow the directives of your boss.