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David Ortiz was one of the baseball legends who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday.
Tony Oliva, Jim Kaat, Gil Hodges, Minnie Miñoso, Buck O’Neil and Bud Fowler joined the former Boston Red Sox great in Cooperstown.
Ortiz was a 10-time All-Star for the Red Sox from 2003 to 2016. He was an integral part of helping Boston break the “Curse of the Bambino” and win its first World Series title in 2004, the first of the ‘organization since 1918. Boston also won it in 2007 and 2013. Ortiz was the 2013 World Series MVP.
Ortiz originally got his start as a member of the Minnesota Twins. He played six years with the Twins, but was released after the 2002 season. Boston signed him in January 2003, and his career essentially changed there.
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Hall of Famer David Ortiz, formerly of the Boston Red Sox, speaks during the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Sunday, July 24, 2022, at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, N.Y. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
After seemingly being an outcast for the Twins, Ortiz ended up playing 14 more years in Boston. He finished his career with 541 home runs, a .286 batting average and a .931 OPS. He would become one of the most feared hitters in baseball, whether in the regular season or the postseason.
“If my story reminds you of anything, let it remind you that if you believe in someone, you can change their world,” he said at his Hall of Fame induction ceremony. “You can change their future, just like so many people who believed in me.”
Ortiz also became a major figure in Boston outside of World Series championships. His speech at Fenway Park after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings helped bring the city back together. It was a moment that he also touched on in his speech.
“We have some incredible memories. When I think of Boston, I definitely think of 2004, 2007, and of course 2013, after the city was rocked by a marathon bombing. I’ve never seen a community bounce back and come together like Boston.” he said
Baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz speaks to reporters during a press conference after his orientation tour at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum on Monday, May 2, 2022, in Cooperstown, NY. The former Boston Red Sox player was inducted on July 24. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)
“When I think about Boston, I also think about the last game I played, standing on the field at Fenway Park. It felt like the whole New England city and each and every one of you was surrounding me and showing me everything. your love. I’ll always be Boston, and I’ll always be there for you Boston. I love you Boston.”
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Ortiz’s Cooperstown appearance also came two years after he was the mistaken target of an assassination attempt in the Dominican Republic. His gallbladder and parts of his intestines and colon were removed in subsequent surgeries.
He entered the Hall of Fame with 77.9% of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America vote.
Oliva, Kaat, Hodges, Miñoso, O’Neil and Fowler were among those voted through the veterans committee.
Oliva was a three-time batting champion and eight-time All-Star with the Twins from 1962 to 1976. He won the American League Rookie of the Year in 1964, his first full season with Minnesota.
Kaat was a three-time All-Star and 16-time Gold Glove winner. He played 15 of his 25-year career with the Twins. He won the 1982 World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Hodges was a star for the Brooklyn Dodgers and led the New York Mets to their first World Series title in 1969.
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Miñoso was the first black player in the history of the Chicago White Sox and the first Afro-Latino in the majors. He played 12 years for the White Sox from 1951-1957, 1960-61, 1964, 1976 and 1980. He was one of the first hitters over 50 to have a hit. After age 50, it was 1 in 10.
Left to right, National Baseball Hall of Famers Jim Kaat, Tony Oliva and David Ortiz hold their plaques during the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Sunday, July 24, 2022, at Clark Sports Cooperstown Center, New York (AP Photo/ John Minchillo)
O’Neil was a star in the Negro Leagues for the Kansas City Monarchs. He became a leading advocate for the Negro Leagues after baseball was integrated and helped create the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.
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Fowler was one of the first known African Americans to play baseball. He grew up in Cooperstown and played baseball in more than a dozen leagues. He also helped form the Page Fence Giants in Michigan.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ryan Gaydos is the sports editor for Fox News and Fox Business. Story tips can be sent to Ryan.Gaydos@fox.com.