His swing was like Dave Parker of the Pirates, but with even more power. Ortiz could play good 1st base, surprisingly nimble feet and a quick glove. As Seth said, the knock on him was a lack of durability, or the perception of it. Part of the learning process for young players is learning how to take care of their bodies, avoiding injuries, staying in shape, etc. David Ortiz went through that phase, but he got over it and has had a great career. For those who have forgotten, Ortiz was irritated by the hitting philosophy of the Twins, which emphasized hitting to all fields, where Ortiz wanted to just pull home runs. Later he credited Twins coaches for helping make him a better hitter, able to go oppo when needed. Ortiz got many key hits for Boston by flipping his wrists to send a ball to left field.