In today’s daily 5 Things You Need to Know feature, ThisWeekinWorcester.com explores five important items and stories that Worcester and Central Massachusetts residents should keep a close eye on.
These five things can cover a whole range of subjects and issues that we feel are pertinent to understanding what’s going on in the city and the cities and towns surrounding Worcester.
In today’s edition – Wednesday, January 26 – David Ortiz is elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Fitchburg State University Theatre receives $3 million in ARPA funds, win a WooSox prize pack showing support for UMass Memorial caregivers, the Massachusetts Pirates receive a display at the Sports Museum at TD Bank Garden and the Worcester Railers host Star Wars night.
David Ortiz in a Class of His Own
Of 30 eligible candidates to be elected by the Baseball Writers Association of America to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, one receive the required 75 percent of the vote: David Ortiz.
Ortiz name was selected by 307 of the 394 ballots (77.9 percent) and became the 58th player to be elected to the Hall of Fame the first time eligible to be elected.
Ortiz broke into Major League Baseball in 1997 with the Minnesota Twins and signed with Boston Red Sox in 2003. Ortiz never won the Most Valuable Player Award, but finished second for the award in 2005 and third in 2006. His 541 home runs is 17th in league history, five more than Mickey Mantle.
Ortiz produced prolific performances in the playoffs. He is the only player in Major League Baseball history with two walk-off home runs in the same playoff year. In 2004, Ortiz ended the American League Division Series in the 10th inning of game three with a home run over the Green Monster at Fenway Park.
Four games later, in game four of the American League Champion Series, with the Red Sox facing elimination against the New York Yankees, Ortiz hit a two-run home run to right field in the 12th inning to end the game.
Ortiz won the ALCS MVP in the series against the Yankees in 2004, finishing 12 for 31 with three home runs and eleven RBI, leading the Red Sox to become the first team, and it remains the only team in Major League Baseball history, to lose the first three games of a playoff series and win the next four games in row to win the series. The Red Sox finished the playoffs with eight straight wins in 2004 and its first World Series Championship since 1918.
Ortiz finished the 2004 playoffs 22 for 55 (.400) with 5 home runs and being tied for the most RBI in a single season with 19. It stands today as the third most RBI in a single playoff season.
In 2007 the Ortiz was part of his second World Series Championship team, finishing the playoff 17 for 46 (.370) with three home runs and 10 RBI.
Ortiz won his third and final championship with the Red Sox in 2013, batting 18 of 52 (.352) with five home runs and 13 RBI. Ortiz had a terrible ALCS, just 2 of 22 (.091) at the plate with a home run and four RBI. He came back in the World Series with a superhuman performance of 11 of 16 (.688) with two home runs and six RBI, and being awarded MVP of the World Series.
In career post-season statics, Ortiz is tied for fourth in RBI with Derek Jeter with 61. He is the only player with two appearances in the top 10 in walks drawn in a single season, 16 in 2013, tied for sixth, and 14 in 2007, tied for ninth.
One niche statistic best tells the impact of David Ortiz in post-season baseball.
Win Probability Added (WPA) considers the inning, number of outs, men on base, and score at the time of an individual action by a player. Accumulating those ratings produces a weighted ranking of that players ability to affect the outcome of the game for his team. Everyone in the top 10 in career in the playoffs all-time has a career WPA between 2.8 and 2.3 all-time, except David Ortiz His career WPA in the playoffs of 3.2.
In other words, statistically, David Ortiz impacted winning games in the playoffs more than any other player in baseball history, and its not close.
Ortiz will be inducted on Sunday, July 24, in Cooperstown.
Fitchburg State University Theatre Receives ARPA Funds
Fitchburg Mayor Stephen DiNatale announced on Tuesday, January 25, a $3 million grant secured for the Fitchburg State University Theatre from federal ARPA funds.
The grant is in addition to the $31 million in ARPA funds received by Fitchburg. DiNatale said he will submit a budget to spend the first $15 million in February.
Fitchburg intends to make an $11 million investment in its downtown area.
Win WooSox Prize Pack with Hashtags for Caregivers
UMass Memorial Health and the Worcester Red Sox team up to show love for caregivers on Social media.
To spread some love, share a pic or story about a UMass caregiver and send them kudos with the hashtags #ShareASmile and #UMassMemorialStrength through midnight on Monday, January 31.
All who participate will be entered into a drawing for a prize pack from the Worcester Red Sox.
Massachusetts Pirates Displayed at the Sports Museum at TD Garden
The Sports Museum at TD Bank Garden in Boston will feature a display for the Massachusetts Pirates, champions of the 2021 Indoor Football League (IFL) season. The display will have memorabilia from its 2021 season available for viewing alongside the other iconic sports franchises that the museum offers.
The Sports Museum is a non-profit educational institution that has served Boston and New England for the past 40 years. Its mission is to represent the best in community outreach, providing character-building, transformative educational programs that help and positively impact at-risk kids throughout Boston and the region.
We are thrilled to have the Bay State’s latest champion, the Massachusetts Pirates memorabilia from its 2021 season available for viewing soon at The Sports Museum. Come in for a tour today.
Read their press release here: https://t.co/Gv0jatyG31 pic.twitter.com/s9mHZ8vXTV
— The Sports Museum (@TheSportsMuseum) January 25, 2022
Worcester Railers Host Star Wars Night
The Worcester Railers host star wars night no Saturday, January 29. The puck drops at 7:05 PM.
The first 2,000 fans receive a Master Trax bobblehead courtesy of Cornerstone Bank. The 501st Legion will appear for special character appearances.
Fans are encouraged to dress as their favorite Star Wars character for a chance to win a ride on the Zamboni, a four-pack of tickets, and a player signed Star Wars poster. To enter the costume contest, visit the Railers green screen photo station located in the Fallon Health Pavilion between 6:00-7:00 p.m. The winner will be announced during the first intermission.
For a special ticket offer including four lower-level ticket and two light swords is available A special ticket offer including four (4) lower-level tickets and two (2) light swords is available HERE.
Image: Arturo Pardavila III/Wikipedia Commons
