David Ortiz Beats Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr. in Home Run Derby From 1996


David Ortiz

Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

Who doesn’t love a good throwback video? This one is quite the hidden gem, as it features the legendary Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz back in 1996. This was at the time when Griffey was the hottest thing going in baseball, while Rodriguez was just getting rolling in the majors. Ortiz on the other hand, was still playing Class-A ball for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

Check out this video, which tells a pretty crazy story:

So as it turns out, Ortiz was in the same farm system as Griffey and A-Rod. The three would never see the field together, though, as Ortiz was sent to the Minnesota Twins later in 1996 as the ‘player to be named’ in the Dave Hollins trade. But it just goes to show how well the Seattle Mariners had things going back in the day. They were easily one of the most fun teams to watch back in the late 1990′s. They had some very good runs, but ultimately never made it past the ALCS.

Griffey signed with the Reds four years later and then would go on to play nine more seasons before returning to Seattle in 2009. As for A-Rod, we all know what happened to him. He took the money and went to Texas and has been a villain ever since. His stint with the Mariners is the last time I remember him being a true fan favorite. There have always been A-Rod supporters, but back then he was pretty much liked across the league by fans. Money can change things, I suppose.

Also on a side note, Big Papi’s full name is David Américo Ortiz Arias. The Mariners listed him as David Arias, but when he was traded to Minnesota, he requested to be called David Ortiz.

 

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