Wednesday, October 30, 2013

David Ortiz. A new record in sight?

As I write this, Game 6 of the 2013 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals had yet to start. Last thing I saw was some guy playing an accordion leading the rabid fans at Fenway Park through the national anthem. So obviously, yours truly has no idea how this game will turn out. If the Bosox win, it's over, and they're champs. If the Redbirds win, it goes to a winner-take-all Game 7.

A lot of crazy things have happened in this World Series so far. But without getting into all that, an all-time record has a very good chance of being set. Yet, so far, the possibility of such a thing happening has flown beneath the radar of even the talking head stat monsters.

Anybody that has followed the Series so far knows that Boston slugger David Ortiz has been on a holy hitting terror. Since the Fall Classic started, "Big Papi" is batting a whopping .733, having gone 11 for 15 in plate appearances over the first 5 games. That's definitely getting on a roll at the right time.

The all-time record for most hits in a single World Series in shared by 3 different guys. Bobby Richardson of the 1964 NY Yankees first the set the mark with 13. It would be equalled by Lou Brock of the 1968 St. Louis Cardinals. It would be tied yet again in 1986 by a little known player named Marty Barrett of 1986 Red Sox squad. But 13 remains the magic number. Nobody has ever surpassed it in the entire history of the Fall Classic. Babe Ruth once had 10 hits in only a four game World Series way back in 1928, and had that Series gone the full seven games, who knows how many more hits the Bambino would have got? But it didn't, and coulda, woulda, shouldas don't count.

But right now, Ortiz has 11, with at least the game recently started, and possibly another one yet to be played. He needs two more hits to equal the record, and three to go into the record books as the all-time hit leader in any single World Series.

When you consider all the greats, immortals, legends, etc, that have come and gone during the whole history of baseball -- to set ANY all-time record would be impressive indeed.

And you know what? Yours truly hopes he gets it, because though not necessarily a Red Sox fan, Ortiz is just an all-around good guy. Kind of like Sara Lee. Nobody doesn't like him.

We'll see.

You go Papi. Cut that meat. No wait, that was Peyton Manning. Sorry.

Beat that shift. That's better.

Back to the game.










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