Papi passes Musial, Stargell on HR list
Red Sox slugger swats No. 476, fondly recalls meeting Pirates' Hall of Famer
KANSAS CITY -- Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz hit his 10th home run of the season and 476th of his career in Sunday's 13-2 win over the Royals, passing Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Willie Stargell for 29th place on the all-time list.
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The solo home run, which helped give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning, puts him 17 behind Fred McGriff and Lou Gehrig, who each hit 493.
Ortiz's solo shot over the right-field fence was projected by Statcast™ to land 443 feet from home plate.
The veteran slugger didn't realize what he had done until one of Boston's media relations personnel informed him after the game.
"I got to meet [Stargell] one time, a long time ago, and he was one of the most impressive as a human being and very much as a player," Ortiz said. "When they start mentioning your name next to this Hall of Famer, it's something that means you did something right.
"I've been playing this game for a long time," the 18-year veteran added. "That's a thing you dream of watching these guys play, but you don't dream that far to be mentioned right next to them when it comes down to numbers."