Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz heads into Tuesday's game against the Cincinnati Reds with a chance to take sole possession of fourth place on Boston's all-time home run list.
Per ESPN Stats & Info, Ortiz hit his 379th home run in a Red Sox uniform Saturday against the Oakland Athletics, pulling himself into a tie for fourth place with retired right fielder Dwight Evans.
Evans and Ortiz couldn't be more different, as Big Papi was a late-blooming slugger who could barely play first base, even in his younger years.
Evans, on the other hand, was successful from a young age and will ultimately be remembered for his work with the glove just as much as his work in the batter's box. The man affectionately known as "Dewey" to Red Sox fans retired with six Gold Glove Awards and just two Silver Slugger Awards.
Ortiz? Six Silver Sluggers—all as a designated hitter—and nary a Gold Glove.
Shortly after passing Evans on the franchise homer list, Ortiz will take aim at Jim Rice, who hit each of his 382 career home runs in a Red Sox uniform. Much like Ortiz, Rice was renowned for his slugging prowess, but he didn't have a whole lot else to offer.
Once Ortiz inevitably hits four more homers to pass Rice for third place, his ascent up the leaderboard may come to an end. Carl Yastrzemski sits in second place with 452 dingers, while Ted Williams' 521 are good for the all-time Red Sox lead.
Ortiz seems to have plenty of gas left in the tank, but he is 38 years old, and he needs 74 more home runs to pass Yastrzemski for that No. 2 spot.
Signed through 2015, Ortiz would likely need to play until at least 2016 to have a shot at surpassing Yastrzemski, as the slugging DH hasn't topped 30 homers in a season since hitting 32 in 2010.
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