You are right with some of this since I looked up some of the stuff ... they moved to Safeco middle of 1999, so he had a few good seasons within an offensive graveyard. He was the best hitter in a good lineup and actually compares quite favorably to the best hitter in the Red Sox lineup over most of Ortiz' peak ... Manny.
Martinez had a great 1995, but he also had a great 1990-1992, seasons, once normalized for league and such were right in the same neighborhood as Ortiz' best seasons.
Ortiz has given me more joy than any other Red Sox player (Pedro is the only one in the argument) ... and he gets particular credit for me for his 2010 and beyond career, when it looked like by the ALCS in 2008 and the entire 2009 season that the party was over.