Sunday, August 06, 2006

ORTIZ THE FASTEST TO 40

Today, David Ortiz hit his 40th home run in just 109 games -- the fastest of any Red Sox player in history. The previous mark had been 127 games, held by Jimmy Foxx in 1938 -- the year he hit his club-record 50 home runs.

Ortiz now appears poised to shatter that mark.

Only three Red Sox players have had three 40-home run seasons; Carl Yastrzemski ('67, '69, '70) Manny Ramirez ('01, '04, '05), and Ortiz. But Big Papi became the first to have three consecutive 40-homer seasons.

Ramirez, with a season total of 31 homers so far, will likely match Ortiz's feat, and become the team's all-time leader in 40-homer seasons.

Ortiz's blast was his 159th career homer with the Sox, just three behind Carlton Fisk and Tony Conigliaro who are tied for 12th place on the club's all-time list.

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