David Ortiz hit three doubles Wednesday night as the Red Sox beat the Braves 9-4. The three two-baggers brings David’s career total to 595, one behind Todd Helton for 15th on the all-time doubles list. The top 14 on this list hit at least 600 doubles, and the only of them not in the Hall of Fame are Pete Rose and Barry Bonds.
Playing at Fenway and off to a good start, Ortiz is likely to catch Hank Aaron at 624 doubles and move into the top ten all-time. That’s quite an accomplishment, especially for a big man who isn’t that fast. I remember Jason Giambi at the end of his career would sting the ball for what looked like a double, but wind up on first because he just didn’t have the speed to make it to second.
Note that Ortiz was greatly helped in his doubles quest by Fenway park. In his time with the Red Sox he hit 297 doubles in 3372 AB at home, 190 in 3321 AB on the road (12 of his 15 triples with the Red Sox also came at home).
I don’t know if Ortiz will be elected to the Hall of Fame, but cracking the 600 doubles mark will help make his case stronger.
The Braves did end their home run drought as Freddie Freeman went deep. The team now has four home runs.
That’s an interesting point about Fenway giving him extra doubles. Some of them no doubt were balls off the monster that would have been outs elsewhere. But based on the fact that he’s hit 45 more HRs on the road than at home during his Red Sox career, it’s likely that the deep right field and center triangle turned balls that would have been HRs elsewhere into doubles too. Fenway gives AND takes away, especially for a left-handed batter.