‘Super proud’ Ortiz enjoys moment
As David Ortiz’ career draws to a close, he’s beginning to appreciate the journey.
From a kid playing ball in the Dominican Republic, to a major leaguer in Minnesota, to a full-blown icon in Boston, Ortiz has covered a lot of ground.
“I’m super proud of what I have done,” Ortiz said, before hitting the game-winning homer in last night’s 5-3 win over the Blue Jays. “My story of my career, it has been really good.
“I was a big-time underdog. I (wasn’t) somebody who came to the big leagues with this really ridiculous talent. It wasn’t that bright at the beginning.”
The numbers don’t belie that. In the first six seasons as a Twin, Ortiz hit .266 and averaged fewer than 10 homers per season. He kept battling.
“I figured one thing out: If you keep working, don’t listen to people, because people are always going to have things to say,” Ortiz said. “People are always going to judge you. People are always going to put you down — not everybody, but some people.
“The reality is that you are the owner of your own future. It’s all about how hungry you are. It’s all about how good you want to be. It’s all about how successful you want to be. That has been my career, and I’m happy and proud of the things that I have done, but that’s all I can control.”
After two decades in the major leagues, Ortiz is down to his final two regular season games. There will be a playoff run that could last a week, or could go a month. Then he’ll be done.
“I don’t really feel like it’s hit home yet,” Ortiz said. “I’m so busy doing so many things that I haven’t really sit down to think about things. That part is good. The sentimental part of it, it’s just not there yet, but it happens to all of us at some point. You ask the big man, it’s part of the emotion, as a human we’ll get through it.”
The Sox plan to honor Ortiz before all three games of their final homestand against the Blue Jays. On the first night of their farewell, the Sox tipped their cap to his philanthropy. The ceremony opened with a slideshow of some of the 563 kids the David Ortiz Children’s Fund is credited with saving.
Yes, you read that correctly — 563.
Prior to yesterday, Ortiz admitted the ceremonies can be distracting when there’s baseball to be played. There was the salmon in Seattle, the parka in Toronto and the surfboard in San Diego.
But last night’s was different. You could see Ortiz’ gratitude as the healthy children’s faces flashed on the center field video board. He really liked this one, and responded accordingly.
In the bottom of the first, Ortiz ripped an RBI single. With the game tied in the seventh, Ortiz penned a new chapter in the greatest farewell story ever told. Sitting on a 2-1 count, Ortiz clubbed a game-winning two-run homer into the right field bleachers. Including the postseason, it was his 500th with the Red Sox.
“I was talking to (Clay Buchholz), and he hits a homer and we basically erupted like 10-year-old boys,” starter Rick Porcello said. “That was an awesome moment. You’re not going to see a left-handed hitter do what he just did, ever. . . . It doesn’t cease to amaze.”