LOS ANGELES — The Giants haven’t put a player into the Hall of Fame since Randy Johnson in 2015, and even he spent only his final season in San Francisco.
Barry Bonds received 66% of votes in his final year on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot. The Jeff Kent campaign didn’t pick up enough steam and Tim Lincecum fell off the ballot in his first year of eligibility. San Francisco’s next chance could be Buster Posey, who won’t appear on ballots until 2026.
San Francisco’s Cooperstown drought persists.
David Ortiz though, the lone inductee voted in by BBWAA writers, has a presence that touches every corner of baseball — including the 2022 Giants. His induction speech on Sunday morning from the Hall will be felt through the game, and surely with the Giants.
Giants manager Gabe Kapler and Ortiz have matching 2004 championship rings, from the year the Red Sox broke their 86-year curse.
Mike Yastrzemski’s grandfather, Carl Yastrzemski, is undoubtedly with Ortiz in the pantheon of all-time Red Sox players.
Evan Longoria spent his prime years competing against Ortiz in the American League East.
Pitching coach Andrew Bailey played with Ortiz in 2013, when the slugger reached base in 19 of 25 World Series plate appearances to win MVP honors.
Camilo Doval, Jarlin García, Yermín Mercedes and other Giants hail from the Dominican Republic, where Ortiz looms as a cultural icon.
Even in Los Angeles, with the Giants’ rivals, Ortiz’s connections go deep. In Mookie Betts’ MLB debut in 2014, Ortiz homered in Yankee Stadium. Remember now-skipper Dave Roberts’ steal in the 2004 ALCS?
Roberts and Ortiz only overlapped in 2004. Kapler and Ortiz, meanwhile, were teammates in Boston from 2003 to 2006. They also spent time together in the Florida State League, Kapler recalls.
One of Ortiz’s superpowers as a player was being a great teammate. Kapler remembers Ortiz having a personalized handshake with every single player on the 25-man roster.
“It was unusual at the time,” Kapler said. “And he remembered all of them. I think he was excellent at making people feel like they were the only person in the room. Didn’t matter what your status was, if you were the best player on the team or 24th, 25th man on the roster. Or people working in the clubhouse. He had a way about him that made everybody feel important.”
Not only does Kapler remember his handshake with Ortiz nearly two decades later, he demonstrated it with KNBR. Two classic high fives, two back-handed fives, two slaps up top and two more down low — in rapid succession.
“You remember stuff like that because of how the dude made you feel as a teammate,” Kapler said.
Yastrzemski grew up in Andover, Massachusetts and in Fenway Park. He’ll always remember the big playoff moments and marvels at the impact Ortiz had on the city of Boston.
“Growing up a Red Sox fan, he gave me a lot to be excited about and a lot to be proud of,” Yastrzemski said.
In 85 postseason games, Ortiz hit .289 with a .947 OPS and 17 home runs. He had 11 career walk-off home runs and two more in the playoffs.
“I just loved watching his playoff runs,” Yastrzemski said. “Watching how clutch he was — I remember being in the stands for a bunch of those games. There was just nothing more fun or rewarding at that time than leaving the stadium happy. And it always seemed like we used to do that because of him. Had a lot of late nights, trying to wake up for school the next day and not being able to. But it was all worth it.”
Longoria, who played for Tampa Bay from 2008 to 2017, was at third base when Ortiz blasted his 500th career home run at Tropicana Field in 2015.
In Longoria’s eyes, both Edgar Martinez and Ortiz revolutionized the designated hitter position. He’s tried to block out the “bad memories” of Ortiz torching his Rays.
“He was a guy who, when we played against him, he was the guy that you did not want to come to the plate in a big spot,” Longoria said. “I think that kind of defines his career. Defines what he did for the Boston organization, from beginning to end — clutch hit after clutch hit. Big hits in the postseason, big hits in the World Series. And about as consistent a hitter as we’ll ever see.”
Longoria called it an “honor” to play against Ortiz for so long. The 10-time All-Star was one of the best game planners Longoria had ever encountered. And his ability to perform at a high level over the course of 20 seasons stands out, too.
Longoria’s inclination about Ortiz’s longevity is right. In his final season, at age 40, Ortiz led the American League in doubles with 48. He also drove in a league-high 127 runs that year and hit 38 homers to reach 541 in his career.
“Like Barry Bonds in his prime, and a lot of these guys in their prime, he just needed one pitch,” Longoria said.
Ortiz’s larger-than-life persona has continued post-retirement. He recently told the Red Sox to “Pay the man!” while shooting $100 bills at shortstop Xander Bogaerts on TV. In a pre-ceremony appearance, he wore a hat that said “Hoes Mad.”
“I’m sure his speech will be great,” Longoria said. “I think David is one of the best personalities that our game has ever seen.”