He's in: Ortiz's Hall of Fame induction confirms what New England has known all along

Jan. 26—David Ortiz is one of the most important players in baseball history.

That isn't news to anybody in Boston. Around here, we've known it for years. We all had a front-row seat as Ortiz authored one iconic moment after another, and over the course of a decade taught one of the most cynical fan bases in sports how to believe.

Now, Ortiz takes his rightful place among baseball's all-time greats.

Ortiz became the 58th first-ballot Hall of Famer in baseball history Tuesday night, earning enshrinement on his first try with 77.9% of the vote. He was the only player voted in by the BBWAA and will join era committee selections Buck O'Neil, Bud Fowler, Jim Kaat, Tony Oliva, Gil Hodges and Minnie Miñoso in this summer's induction ceremony, which will be held in Cooperstown, New York, on July 24.

Ortiz also becomes the fourth player from the Dominican Republic to earn induction, joining Vladimir Guerrero, Juan Marichal and Pedro Martinez, and the 15th whose plaque will feature a Red Sox insignia.

"It was crazy, I never dreamt of it," Ortiz said of his reaction to receiving the call. "I'm so thankful and grateful to be able to be part of this elite group."

It's hard to overstate how much Ortiz's induction means, and it's harder to explain how improbable it really is considering how his career started. The first six seasons of Ortiz's big league career were totally unremarkable, and when he signed with the Red Sox as a free agent in 2003 the hope was only that he could compete for at-bats with Jeremy Giambi.

Instead, he turned into a three-time World Series champion and a legend.

Ortiz's 2004 postseason was instantly iconic. His walk-offs in Games 4 and 5 of the American League Championship Series fueled Boston's improbable 3-0 comeback against the Yankees, and that was after he also hit a series-clinching walk-off home run in the divisional series against the Angels.

Even if that was the high point of Ortiz's career, helping end the club's 86-year World Series drought would have made him a Red Sox legend forever. But it was only the beginning.

In 2006, Ortiz broke Jimmie Foxx's club record for home runs in a season, smashing 54 to deliver a jolt of excitement into an otherwise disappointing year. The following year, he helped the 2007 club win another World Series title and for years, Ortiz remained an all-star caliber force anchoring the middle of the lineup.

Then, in 2013, Ortiz authored his best performance yet.

Days after the Boston Marathon bombings rocked the city, Ortiz took the microphone at Fenway Park and said exactly what we all needed to hear. "This is our [expletive] city!" From there, he delivered his best season in years and helped lead the Red Sox on a stunning worst-to-first turnaround.

Once in the playoffs, Ortiz turned back the clock and delivered that old October magic once more. His game-tying grand slam in Game 2 of the ALCS saved the Red Sox season and flipped a series that was quickly slipping away.

His performance in the World Series was nothing short of legendary. Between hitting .688 and the passionate dugout speech he delivered in Game 4, Ortiz might have been the most slam dunk World Series MVP call in history.

Finally, there was the unforgettable end to Ortiz's career when the 40-year-old hit 38 home runs, led the AL with 127 RBI and posted a 1.021 OPS in his farewell season.

The Red Sox didn't even wait a year to retire his number 34, and by the time he was finished Ortiz was without question among the most recognizable faces in baseball.

You could argue he still is today.

Despite all of that, Ortiz's Hall of Fame induction was never a certainty. Some voters still resist the idea of enshrining a career DH, and many also believe he might have used performance-enhancing drugs. Those factors are the main reason why Ortiz's induction wound up as close as it was.

But Ortiz always did have a flair for the dramatic, and regardless of the journey he'll now go down as the all-time great Red Sox fans have long known him to be.

Email: mcerullo@northofboston.com. Twitter: @MacCerullo.