Ortiz Weight

From SoSH

According to the weights listed on baseball cards, Big Papi has always been big (also evidenced in the pictures). On a Twins 'Top Prospect' card from 1997 (age 22), David (Arias) Ortiz's weight was listed at 230 and that's the same weight he's had the entire time he's been in the majors.

Therefore when discussing steroids use don't try to claim his size against him; he is not a "late blossomer" like Barry Bonds who weighhed 185 in 1986 and 228 in 2003 or HGHiambi who went from 225 to over 250 in 2000. I'd scan it and post the info, but its probably copyrighted.

Also from biographies of Ortiz that include him before age 22, Ortiz was always described as a big man and a power hitter.

"David was a good athlete and a natural slugger. ... Unlike most Domincan kids, David began filling out early. It did not take much imagination for scouts to project him as a future power hitter, but what intrigued them was how tough an out he could be. ... [When he signed in 1992 at age 17], he batt[ed] .264 with 35 extra base hits. ... [In 1994 in the rookie-level Arizona league] David struggled at the plate (.246 with 2 HRs), [but] impressed in the field ... showing surprising agility around the bag for a man of his size. [In 1995 he led] the Arizona league with 18 doubles and 37 RBIs. [In 1996 in Class-A midwest League, the 20 year old Ortiz] hit .322 with 34 doubles, two triples, 18 homers and 93 RBIs [in 129 games]."

Yankee Fans and others can always claim steroid use in the absence of any sort of evidence (even with plenty of evidence to the contrary), but should not bring up his size or weight unless they believe he was using steroids all the way back to before he was 17 in the Dominican.

From main Ortiz page, quotes section:

On steroid testing: ... all I know is all they are going to find is a lot of rice and beans.