Papi talk

Treasure Big Papi. He may even be better than you think.

David Ortiz has now had four consecutive seasons with 80 or more extra base hits. I'm sure you agree that sounds impressive, but consider this: no other Red Sox player has ever done that.

Nope, not Teddy Ballgame, either.

But Ted Williams still holds the club record with five 80-plus extra base hit seasons. And, as usual, there is a WWII caveat. Ted's five 80 extra-base-hit seasons were 1939 (86), 1940 (80), 1946 (83), 1947 (81), and 1949 (85). We are free to imagine him knocking out 80-plus seasons in 1943, 1944 and/or 1945, as well.

Another TW yeah-but: No Red Sox player has ever walked as much. Ready? Starting in 1942, his walk totals for that season and the five following: 147, 145, 156, 162, 126 and 162. It's hard to wrap your ahead around such numbers. There's a lot of lost extra base hit opportunities.

Now consider Mr. Ortiz.

In his breakthrough year of 2003, when he wasn't installed in the lineup full-time until Memorial Day, he still managed 72 extra base hits (39 doubles, 2 triples and 32 home runs in 448 at-bats while walking 43 times.

Since then:

Year 2B 3B HR TOT BB
2004 47 3 41 91 75
2005 40 1 47 88 102
2006 29 2 54 85 119
2007 52 1 35 88 111

Gotta love the way he sneaks that triple or two in there every year. Speaking of triples, you might be surprised to know that Ted himself was quite the triplin' dude in his early years. The young TW had 11 three-baggers in his rookie year of 1939 and 14 in 1940. He had 9 as late as 1947. (In his last seven years, by contrast, he had nine total, with none in either of his last two seasons, 1959 and 1960).

But in the post-Ted era, David Ortiz is the only man wearing a Red Sox uniform with four 80-plus extra base hit seasons, let alone four in succession.

Jim Rice had three (1977-79), and he, too was abetted by triples, with 15 in both '77 and '78. Having lived through it, I can tell you he really used the entire field in those days.

Jimmie Foxx has the one-season Sox record with 92 in 1938, when he had 50 homers, 33 doubles and 9 triples. Double X was another sneaky triple guy. He had 10 in 1939.

Fred Lynn with 82 in 1979 (42 doubles, 1 triple, 39 homers), Manny Being Manny with 87 in 2004 (44 doubles, zero triples and 43 homers) and Earl Webb with 84 in 1931 (the all-time major league record 67 doubles, 3 triples and 14 homers) are the other Red Sox players who hit the 80 mark. Yaz, you say? Sorry. Captain Carl fell one short during his magical year of 1967 (31 doubles, 4 triples and 44 homers).

But guess who had two?

Nomah, that's who.

Let's not forget how utterly dynamic Nomar Garciaparra was. He broke in with 85 extra base hits in 1997 (44 doubles, a league-leading 11 triples, and 30 homers) and followed that up with 80 in 1998 (37 doubles, 8 triples, and 35 homers). But despite his impressive doubles totals (51 in 2000 and 56 in 2002) I maintain he never again had the same pop in the bat after sustaining that severe wrist injury in 1999. Anyway, please never forget the electrifying beginning of his Red Sox career.

A-Rod, by the way, has done it four times: 1996 (91), 2002 (86), 2003 (83), and, of course 2007 (85, with 31 doubles, no triples, and 54 homers).

Barry Bonds -- speaking of bases on balls -- has done it four times, with a high of 107 in 2001 (73 homers, 32 doubles, and 2 triples).

Finally, the great Albert Pujols missed doing it this season for only the second time in seven seasons, but not by a lot. Albert finished with a career-low 71 (38 doubles, 1 triple, 32 homers). I'd advise the NL pitchers to start worrying about 2008 right now.

As for Papi, it would be difficult to over-praise him, given his aching knee, the shifts, Manny Being Manny's off year and the ever-growing respect he has from AL pitchers, who don't give him very much to hit. But he persevered, and in the end had another spectacular year.

I think it's safe to say we're very lucky to have him.