‘He Had a Way to Slow You Down’- Boston Red Sox Legend David Ortiz Believes This Former NY Yankees Star Had the Best Slider in Baseball

New York Yankees vs the Boston Red Sox are a century-old rivalry. With each passing year, it is only getting stronger. Given their rivalry, it is a rare sight when a Yankee or Red Sox player praises their opponent. And the Red Sox legend, David Ortiz, has broken the barrier to appreciating a rival legend.

With a career that spanned over 20 years, David Ortiz has won everything in baseball. The Dominican-American designated hitter was part of the revolutionary Red Sox team. During his 20-year-long career, Ortiz faced hundreds of pitchers in the ballparks. But when asked about the best slider he faced, Ortiz took the name of a former Yankees pitcher.

Yes! Out of all the pitchers, the Red Sox legend believes that the former Yankees pitcher, CC Sabathia, had the best slider in the game. The two have played almost 16 years of baseball against each other. Recently, the Red Sox legend confessed this on a podcast show.

CC Sabathia’s slider troubled David Ortiz the most

Sabathia and Ortiz were two of the best performers for their respective teams. Ortiz has won three World series with the Boston Red Sox, while Sabathia also won the ring for the New York Yankees. Given his immense contribution to the team, MLB honored Ortiz with the Hall of Fame this year.

Recently, when Ortiz appeared on the R2C2 podcast, he praised his former rival, CC Sabathia. He said the former Yankees pitcher had the best slider among all the left-hand pitchers he had faced.

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“CC had the best slider I had ever seen coming from a left-hander until the last day he pitched… He had a way to slow you down with a slider or find you hard with it…,” Ortiz said.

Respecting his guest on the podcast, Sabathia also complimented Ortiz for being one of the most patient hitters of the game.

“He was so patient. And He made you throw fastballs over the plate. Our counts were always deep,” Sabathia said.

Sabathia and Ortiz in MLB

Talking about their baseball career, Sabathia was one of the most consistent pitchers in Major League Baseball. he collected 3093 strikeouts during his 19 years of a baseball career. Debuted in the 2001 season, Sabathia played his last game in 2019.

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Ortiz, on the other hand, was one of the cleanest hitters in the game. He made his MLB debut for the Minnesota Twins in 1997, and bid farewell to the game in the 2016 season.

The two indeed had illustrious careers for themselves. What is your opinion on Ortiz saying Sabathia had the best slider?