David Ortiz: Hot Bat, Hot Baseball Cards

Clutch-hitting sluggers top nearly every collector’s hot list, which is why RBI and home run front runner David Ortiz, the Red Sox slugger with a knack for walk-off home runs, is among the hobby’s most sought-after baseball players.

In three seasons with the Red Sox, Ortiz has 13 walk-off hits, including eight walk- off home runs. During those three seasons, Ortiz’s rookie cards – ‘97 Ultra (#518) and ‘97 Fleer (#512) – have taken the leap from $1-$3 commons to $30-$40 must-have cards. These cards list Ortiz and David Arias, but they are not misprints. Ortiz went by the name of Arias, his mother’s name, early in his career.

Ortiz’s clutch hitting is no fluke, so expect these cards to increase in value. He has hit at least one game-ending home run in each of the last five seasons.

As the recent cover boy for Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, and Tuff Stuff collectibles magazine, Ortiz has received tremendous national publicity, increasing the demand for his certified autograph cards. His first autographed card, the 1997 Donruss Signature Autograph, can be had for $50, a good buy considering the autograph prices for lesser players. The value this card and his two rookie cards may be a bit low because Ortiz is pictured in a Twins uniform. Many diehard Red Sox fans are only willing to dig into their pockets for Ortiz’s Red Sox cards.

Ortiz and Manny Ramirez form baseball’s best one-two punch. During the Red Sox World Series Run in 2004, the Red Sox sluggers became the first pair of AL teammates to hit 40 home runs, have 100 RBI, and bat .300 since Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in 1931. The two also hit back-to-back homers six times that memorable season to tie a major league record. A must for any Red Sox fan is the 2005 UD Ultimate Quad patch sporting jersey patches of World Series heroes Ortiz, Ramirez, Curt Schilling, and Johnny Damon selling for $150.

As the numbers and accolades for Ortiz mount, expect the interest in his baseball cards to continue to increase. His biggest endorsement came for Red Sox owner John Henry who presented “Big Papi” a plaque at the start of the 2005 season reading: “David Ortiz #34 The Greatest Clutch Hitter in the History of the Boston Red Sox.”

Rookie, autograph, and memorabilia cards for the Red Sox greatest clutch hitter are gaining steam, but are still reasonably priced, which means the market is ripe for buying.