David Ortiz has accomplished some tremendous feats with the Red Sox. But to this day, one of the most impressive, manly and just plain awesome things that Ortiz has ever done came while he was still with the Twins.
Ortiz, who continues to add to his impressive resume, once hit a home run with a broken wrist while playing for the Twins in 2001. Sure, the blast came more than 12 years ago, but it’s worth pointing out at a time when everyone keeps summarizing Ortiz’s legacy.
Ortiz suffered the injury while diving into home plate in the fourth inning of the Twins’ game against the Royals on May 4, 2001. He proceeded to homer in the fifth inning — broken right wrist and all — after informing his coaches that he was OK.
“We asked David maybe 90 times or 100, I’m not sure, I lost track: Are you all right?” then-Twins manager Tom Kelly said after the game. “He said he was, so we let him hit. After he hit, the trainers said his wrist was starting to swell, so we got him out of there.”
Ortiz admitted after that 2001 contest that he felt plenty of pain while rounding the bases following his improbable home run.
“When I was running the bases and I thought, ‘Wow, something is hurting bad,’” Ortiz said after the game, according to The Associated Press. “I thought it was sprained. I never thought it was broken. The doctors say it’s cracked, but it’s not out of place.”
Ortiz was out of action until July 21 of that season. He finished the year with a .234 average, 18 home runs and 48 RBIs in 89 games. Ortiz later signed with the Red Sox before the 2003 season.
Jonny Gomes probably didn’t have May 4, 2001, on his mind Sunday when he said that Ortiz’s Game 2 grand slam added to his “resume of awesomeness.” But there’s definitely something awesome about going deep in a big league game with a broken wrist.
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