David Ortiz

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To say that New Yorkers do not like the Boston Red Sox would be an understatement.  The Yankees/Red Sox rivalry goes back to the days of Babe Ruth.   Mets fans, of course, remember the 1986 World Series.  (You may recall I discussed that last month, when Bill Buckner died.)

But some things transcend baseball rivalries.

I was so upset to hear the news about David Ortiz.  I am thankful that the Red Sox are taking care of him, and that he will recover from the gunshot wounds.

He had a very impressive baseball career, but I was never a fan ...until April of 2013.

Yes, the Boston Marathon Bombing.  And Boston was aching the same way New York hurt after 9/11.

And when the Red Sox took the field at Fenway on April 20, for their first game since the bombing, just hours after the second suspect was apprehended, there was a pre-game ceremony to help the city heal. (I think all of us were Red Sox fans that day.)


And Ortiz, known to fans as "Big Papi", had his finest moment in a Red Sox uniform.

This article describes it well:
"All right, Boston," Big Papi said, clapping his hands. "This jersey that we wear today, it doesn't say 'Red Sox.' It says 'Boston.' We want to thank you, Mayor [Thomas] Menino, Governor [Deval] Patrick, the whole police department for the great job that they did this past week."
And then, the kicker.
"This is our f------- city. And nobody's going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong."
Fifty-four words, entirely ad-libbed yet so powerful that they represent the most transcendent moment of a possible Hall of Fame career.

 The healing power of sports....Boston won that game in a magical way., and went on to have a winning season, culminating in a World Series victory.
You can watch the entire pre-game ceremony, including the Ortiz speech,  here:




Comments

  1. John HoltonJune 13, 2019 at 1:14 PM

    He certainly has the numbers for the Hall of Fame, and the resistance to electing designated hitters to the Hall of Fame has all but vanished, with Jim Thome, Edgar Martinez and Frank Thomas having been inducted. And certainly what he meant to the Red Sox and to Boston as a player and a human being puts him there. Time was having 500 home runs in a career made you a shoo-in; while that's no longer a sure thing, he should make it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. songbird's crazy worldJune 13, 2019 at 1:46 PM

    I hope you're right. He deserves the honor.

    ReplyDelete
  3. bookwormJune 13, 2019 at 6:33 PM

    A former co-worker (she trained me in my job)'s daughter had run the Boston Marathon. The year of the bombing, she sat it out because she had to get her taxes done. She currently serves in the military as a dentist. (Her brother is a veteran of service in Afghanistan). I've only been to Boston once, but this video brought back memories. In my office, we are wishing the best outcome for Big Papi. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Liz A.June 13, 2019 at 8:08 PM

    Oh, something terrible happened? I hope it'll be all right (I have no idea to what you're referring. Sorry.)

    ReplyDelete
  5. songbird's crazy worldJune 13, 2019 at 9:35 PM

    To bring you into the loop, Liz. Ortiz was in his native Dominican Republic when he was shot. Someone hired a hit man. Motive is still unknown. The Red Sox brought him back to Boston for treatment.

    ReplyDelete
  6. songbird's crazy worldJune 13, 2019 at 9:37 PM

    Alana, I’ve been to Boston many times — as a tourist, on business, when Becca was scouting out colleges ....it’s a great city.

    ReplyDelete
  7. songbird's crazy worldJune 13, 2019 at 9:38 PM

    And yes, your coworker’s daughter was lucky.

    ReplyDelete
  8. peppylady (Dora)June 13, 2019 at 11:09 PM

    To many guns out there.
    Coffee is on

    ReplyDelete
  9. songbird's crazy worldJune 14, 2019 at 9:44 AM

    Dora, so true.

    ReplyDelete

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