David Ortiz voted into Baseball Hall of Fame

Updated Wednesday at 3:47 p.m.

David Ortiz, the legendary Red Sox slugger who is better known simply by his nickname of Big Papi, racked up plenty of accolades in his day.

The 10-time All-Star and seven-time Silver Slugger won three World Series with the Sox and hit 558 home runs over his career. And now, he'll be going to Cooperstown.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced on Tuesday that Ortiz was elected to the Hall. He'll be the fourth Dominican-born member of baseball's most hallowed club and is getting into the Hall in his first year on the ballot. He was elected with nearly 78% of the vote.

He's also the lone inductee this year, while big but controversial names like Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds were left off.

Speaking to members of the press after his election was announced, Ortiz said he never dreamed of being a Hall of Famer.

"I feel so thankful and grateful for being able to accomplish what I was able to accomplish and, thank God, have the career that I had," he said.

In a statement, Red Sox owner John Henry said there are countless reasons Ortiz is deserving of the Hall of Fame.

"He was critical in transforming the narrative around the Red Sox from one of curses and superstitions to tales of clutch moments and a collection of championships," Henry said.

While Ortiz is getting in, Bonds and Clemens, whose names are tied with persistent allegations of using performance-enhancing drugs, didn't pass the ballot vote from the Baseball Writers' Association of America in their final year of eligibility, though they can still be voted in through a separate process.

Ortiz, who name was also once tied to PEDs, defended their credentials.

"Barry Bonds, to me, separated himself from the game at the highest level, you know?" he said. "I know that there's a lot of things going on, but to me the guy is a Hall of Famer. Way before everything, all the talk and all the things, this is a guy who played the game to a whole totally different level. Same thing with Roger [Clemens], the Rocket.”

"When I see these guys, to be honest with you, I don't even compare myself to them, because I saw so many times those guys performing and it was something that, it was very special, you know?" Ortiz continued. "So not having them join me at this time is something that it's hard for me to believe, to be honest with you. Because those guys, they did it all."

Despite any doubts, Ortiz's name will be immortalized with the game's greats when he's inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 24.

"It's a wonderful honor to be able to get in on my first rodeo, it's something that is very special to me," he said. "I can't imagine how New England has to feel about one of its babies geting into the Hall of Fame today. I'm not even going to tell you about the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic, it's a country that breathes baseball and people are very excited right here and everything is going crazy right now. I mean, it's amazing."

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Ortiz had hit 541 home runs over the course of his career, which excluded his 17 runs in the playoffs. The correct number, 558, is now included.