9 points of OPS+ really isn't all that trivial. Ortiz hasn't had an OPS+ below 144 since he got to Boston, which, coincidentally, is where he has gained notoriety for being clutch. He's really turned it on after some mostly mediocre years in Minnesotta.
Here is a breif explanation of how OPS+ works: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On-base...S_.28OPS.2B.29