Scripts often write themselves in October, and all the stars are aligning for David Ortiz’s farewell from baseball.
Ortiz was honored before Sunday’s game by the Boston Red Sox in the last regular season game of his career, a ceremony that will be all but forgotten in a month’s time. Bostonians will flock to the duck boats later this month to celebrate Ortiz’s fourth World Series ring and honor his legacy.
Amidst all of their pitching woes, I believe the offense will carry the Sox to the promised land, led by Ortiz, whose dream career is set to get a fairytale ending.
The decorated designated hitter’s stats speak for themselves, but the Boston legend will be revered in the city forever thanks to his late game heroics in October.
The left-handed slugger became emotional Sunday during the team’s announcement that his number 34 will be retired by the Red Sox next season.
Sunday marked a handful of lasts for Ortiz, but his legacy isn’t entirely cemented. The ceremony didn’t seem complete. The attempt to close the storybook career of Ortiz with a final chapter still remaining felt wrong. It was only natural for fans’ minds to wander and delay the bittersweet goodbye in anxious anticipation of Papi’s October quest.
The premature goodbye felt like a distraction and almost a jinx on ruining the true priority for Ortiz and the Sox of bringing in what would be the team’s fourth ring in the last 13 seasons.
The rushed nature is unfortunately unavoidable. Game 162 has been circled on calendars all season long and it would be a disservice to both Ortiz and his beloved fans to ignore his accomplishments, but something just didn’t feel right.
Ortiz’s power electrifies this city and serves as the symbolic heartbeat for it in October. For a moment, seemingly nothing else matters on a crisp fall night on Yawkey Way.
With the anticipated departure of a star athlete, the departure is rehearsed and expected, but fittingly for Ortiz, his last game and last at-bat will quite possibly remain an unknown. Nothing about Ortiz is predictable, other than the timing of his late-game heroics. It is the prospect of Ortiz’s patented slow trot that leaves fans eager for his final walk-off hit, not his walk away from baseball.
Living in the present moment has helped mold the Dominican-born superstar. Ortiz’s mindset will hopefully serve as a reminder for the Red Sox as they gear up for their playoff run.
After capping off an 11-game winning streak last week, the Sox proceeded to lose five of their last six games to end the season. This limp into the playoffs, albeit in a small sample size, is in part a result of Ortiz’s ceremonies. The ceremonies for Big Papi needed to happen and I am by no means blaming the Red Sox or Ortiz for the celebrations, but how lucky is the city of Boston that Ortiz’s famed carrier doesn’t need to end with a cliché ceremony.
Ortiz’s opportunity to build to his historic resume with another postseason run is a storybook opportunity that Ortiz will undoubtedly relish.
Ortiz has played in 82 playoff games — 73 with the Red Sox — and was a massive part of helping them win their three World Series this century. His playoff on-base percentage is over .400 and he boasts an impressive 17 home runs, 13 of which came during the 2004, 2007 and 2013 postseasons, which all ended with the Sox claiming the Commissioner’s Trophy.
For better or worse, rings define one’s legacy, and with an amazing run this month, Ortiz will redefine what it means to turn around a sports franchise. If Ortiz and the Red Sox win another ring, he will be first player since Harry Hooper in 1918 to win four rings with the team.
With Ortiz doubters still questioning his Hall of Fame candidacy, a run this postseason would solidify Ortiz as the baseball god whom Boston knows and loves. Ortiz’s mentoring has helped develop the young talent on this Red Sox offense, giving the Sox a legitimate chance to win another title not only this year, but setting them up for contention in years to come.
The setup of Ortiz’s retirement is almost too perfect. He has a chance to remind fans of his greatness on the playoff stage that has been full of Ortiz moments.
Thanks, Papi. Bring us home one more time.
