David Ortiz Recalls Beating Ken Griffey, Alex Rodriguez In Minor-League Home Run Derby

David Ortiz never played above Single-A for the Seattle Mariners, so his tenure with his first team isn’t necessarily well documented. However, a compelling tale that exists from his time in the Mariners’ system is one of the best stories of his career.

As the tale goes, the M’s had wrapped up a homestand on June 28, 1996, and had a day off before facing the Brewers in Milwaukee, so they stopped by Appleton, Wisc., to play an exhibition game on June 29 against their Class-A affiliate Timber Rattlers. But when rain dashed all hopes of playing the game, the two teams faced off in a three vs. three home run derby instead, with Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez and catcher Dan Wilson representing the Mariners and Ortiz, who went by David Arias then, on the Timber Rattlers’ squad.

“And then,” Ortiz told ESPN’s Scott Lauber in an oral history, “I stole the show.”

Ortiz wound up beating Griffey and A-Rod after hitting seven homers in the first round to their combined eight. And even though Wilson took the crown from Ortiz in the end, everyone was impressed from what they saw out of the 20-year-old first baseman.

“Ken Griffey Jr. was standing by A-Rod when Ortiz started hitting his first couple shots,” TV reporter Gary Horcher, who covered the event for WBAY-TV, told Lauber. “It was a different noise. Some guys, it sounds like a thunderclap, and other guys it doesn’t generate the same sound. This was like a hammer clattering against something really percussive. I remember everybody kind of winced. We looked over for Griffey’s reaction, and I remember Griffey kind of looking up and smiling. But A-Rod was going, ‘Oh my god!’ I remember after one of Ortiz’s shots, A-Rod was like, ‘Look at that guy! I ain’t got a chance.'”

The Mariners traded Ortiz to the Minnesota Twins at the end of that season, and, as we all know, went on to become one of the greatest Boston Red Sox hitters of all time. Big Papi told Lauber that although he’s disappointed he never played with Griffey in the end, the derby still is a great memory.

“Ken Griffey was the best player in the game, and Alex, everybody knew how special he was,” Ortiz said. “But that day, I’m telling you, everybody saw what’s up. It was fun, man. I’ll never forget that.”