David Ortiz Still On Pace To Flirt With Single-Season Doubles Record
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- On Sunday, in the fifth inning of the Red Sox' 81st game of the year, at the exact midpoint of Boston's season, David Ortiz crushed a baseball into the center field triangle to drive in a run on what was the designated hitter's 32nd double of the season.
This particular double was noteworthy because it broke a scoreless tie and kicked off a six-run fifth inning in a game that allowed the Red Sox to swiftly remove the foul taste left in the mouths from the previous night's 21-2 disaster.
But it was also significant because it was Ortiz's 32nd two-bagger of the season. That total makes Ortiz the league leader in doubles, with Baltimore's Manny Machado in second with 29 and San Francisco's Brandon Belt in third with 26. Ortiz has hit his 32 doubles in just 269 at-bats, while Machado has 316 at-bats and Belt has 284.
At age 40, this is of course Ortiz's final season in baseball, and he has a chance to really leave a mark in a way no player has since the 1930s.
If Ortiz can continue on his current pace, he has a chance to become the first hitter to log 60 or more doubles in a season since 1936, when Hall of Famer Joe Medwick hit 64 and fellow HOFer Charlie Gehringer hit an even 60. Only six players have ever hit 60 or more doubles in a season, and they all took place between 1926-36.
Todd Helton came oh-so-close in 2000, when he hit 59 doubles, and Carlos Delgado's 57 doubles that same year were just behind. Nomar Garciaparra came close in 2002, when he hit 56 doubles, but that mark of 60 doubles has remained rather elusive for all of baseball for 80 years.
And, if Ortiz ups his pace a bit, he has a chance to tie or set the all-time mark. With 32 right now, he's on pace for 64. The all-time record belongs to Earl Webb, who hit 67 doubles back in 1931.
Here's what the all-time list looks like for single-season doubles leaders, with Ortiz's current projection thrown in:
1. Earl Webb, 67, 1931, at age 33
2. George Burns, 64, 1926, at age 33
2. Joe Medwick, 64, 1936, at age 24
2. David Ortiz, 64, 2016, at age 40
5. Hank Greenberg, 63, 1934, at age 23
6. Paul Waner, 62, 1932, at age 29
7. Charlie Gehringer, 60, 1946, at age 33
Naturally, Ortiz is also climbing the list of all-time doubles leaders. He currently ranks 11th all time with 616 doubles, and he needs just nine more to pass Hank Aaron to get into the top 10. If he ends up belting 64 doubles on the year, he'll move past Honus Wagner and Carl Yastrzemski and settle in at eighth all time. Also, in terms of Red Sox franchise history, if Ortiz hits 17 more doubles, he will pass Ted Williams for second all time.
Sunday's double also marked the 1,157th extra-base hit of his career, which put him in a tie for 12th place in baseball history.
Of course, if Ortiz had his druthers, he would likely prefer his team make the playoffs and contend for a championship instead of earning some relatively meaningless doubles crowns. But, if nothing else, Ortiz's current production being at a historic level is at least worthy of some recognition as he and the Red Sox embark on the second half of the season schedule.
