Ortiz gets Fenway send-off
Ventura announces he’s done as manager with the White Sox
The Red Sox sent David Ortiz off before his final regular-season game with a promise that he will return.
This week, in the playoffs, when he goes for his fourth World Series title.
And next year, when they hang his No. 34 from the Fenway facade among the team’s retired numbers.
During a pre-game ceremony Sunday attended by Red Sox greats like Carl Yastrzemski and teammates from Ortiz’s three championship teams, the ballclub honored their soonto-retire slugger by draping a Dominican flag over the Green Monster and bringing out his father — Big Papi’s real Papi — to stand next to him in the middle of the diamond.
Ortiz broke into tears when he mentioned his late mother before gathering himself together to thank his teammates and members of the organization from owner John Henry to clubhouse attendant Pookie Jackson. He also thanked the fans — dropping to one knee and tipping his cap to the crowd.
“He changed the Red Sox,” Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said before the game. “He was a key part of the amazing three wins here. It changed the course of the franchise.
“But I also think that he changed the city. He became a symbol of the strength of the city and will always be remembered for that.”
WhiteSox: Robin Ventura announced after Chicago’s season-ending 6-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins that he will not return as manager of the White Sox next season.
Ventura said it was “a personal decision.” He was in the last year of his contract.
“I enjoy this place, I love this place,” a stoic Ventura said. “At the end, it probably needs a new voice.”
The Chicago Sun-Times reported Saturday that bench coach and former Cubs manager Rick Renteria will likely take over, but the team did not immediately announce a replacement. White Sox general manager Rick Hahn is scheduled to address reporters Monday.
Ventura said he “initiated” the departure and the front office didn’t push him out.
Ventura went 375-435 in five seasons with the White Sox. After an 85-77 debut in 2012 that wasn’t good enough for the playoffs, Ventura suffered through four consecutive losing seasons.
The White Sox finished 78-84 this year despite a 23-10 start that gave them a six-game lead in the A.L. Central on May 9.
By the numbers: Colorado’s DJ LeMahieu won his first National League batting title, sitting out his second straight game to protect his lead over Washington’s Daniel Murphy.
LeMahieu hit a major league-leading .348 and finished one point ahead of Murphy with the N.L.’s highest average since Atlanta’s Chipper Jones batted .364 in 2008. LeMahieu’s season ended after three innings and two hitless at-bats Friday.
Murphy pinch hit Sunday in his first appearance since Sept. 20 and flied out.
“It was unique in that the other guy he was battling with wasn’t playing,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “If they’re both playing and going at it, that’s one thing. I didn’t want him to lose it that way.”
Houston’s Jose Altuve hit .338 and won his second A.L. batting title in three years. Boston’s Dustin Pedroia was a distant second at .318.
Mark Trumbo led the major leagues with 47 home runs, the fourth straight Baltimore player to hit the most in the big leagues. That is the longest stretch for one team’s players to top the A.L. since the Yankees from 1923-31 with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Bob Meusel.
Colorado’s Nolan Arenado and Milwaukee’s Chris Carter tied for the N.L. lead with 41. Arenado led the N.L. with 133 RBIs, and Toronto’s Edwin Encarnacion tied for the most in the A.L. at 127 with Boston’s Ortiz.
Toronto’s Aaron Sanchez won the A.L. ERA title at 3.00, the highest for any league leader since the Los Angeles Angels’ John Lackey at 3.01 in 2007.
Kyle Hendricks of the Chicago Cubs led the major leagues at 2.13.
Boston’s Rick Porcello topped the major leagues in wins at 22-4, and Washington’s Max Scherzer led the N.L., beating Miami on Sunday to finish 20-7. Scherzer had the most strikeouts in the major leagues with 284, and Detroit’s Justin Verlander had 254 to lead the A.L. for the fourth time and first since 2012.
Jeurys Familia led the major leagues in saves with 51 and Baltimore’s Zach Britton topped the A.L. with a perfect record in 47 chances.