University of Kwazulu-Natal

Boston Red Sox Pull Out Stops For David Ortiz S Final Regular Season

Bonisiwe Shabane
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boston red sox pull out stops for david ortiz s final regular season

BOSTON (USA TODAY/Bob Nightengale) — The Boston Red Sox, declaring David Ortiz as perhaps the greatest player in franchise history Sunday, treated him with such a glorious and splendid farewell ceremony, you almost forgot... The game was simply an afterthought after Ortiz was greeted with teammates from his three World Series teams, presents from custom-made work boots to a bridge and avenue named in his honor, to a... And after the Red Sox are eliminated from the postseason - or win their fourth World Series since 2004 - no one will again wear No. 34, they declared. It was that kind of afternoon, with nine-time Grammy award singer Mary J. Blige singing the National Anthem, which followed the Canadian and Dominican Republic anthems, and ending with Blige singing a song in Ortiz’s honor.

Leo Ortiz, Ortiz’s father, was there. So was Danilo Medina, president of the Dominican Republic, with Ortiz taking out his cell phone and taking a selfie. And representatives from all three of his World Series teams, from Pedro Martinez to Manny Ramirez to Jonny Gomes to Mike Lowell. The Boston Red Sox have several big items on their to-do list this winter, including adding a frontline starting pitcher and a middle-of-the-order bat. The Red Sox could still use a marquee slugger after trading Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in June, leaving a considerable hole in the middle of their lineup. They went from ninth in home runs before the trade to 23rd in homers without him.

Before Devers debuted in 2017, David Ortiz filled that role from 2003 to 2016. He filled it so well, in fact, that he now has a plaque hanging in Cooperstown. Ortiz usually had plenty of help, too, teaming up with Manny Ramirez from 2003 to 2008 to form one of the most lethal 1-2 punches in baseball. Boston hasn’t had a combination like that in a while, but Ortiz would like to see his old team add some more thump to its lineup. Over five months after the Boston Red Sox shockingly sent All-Star slugger Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants, you can count Hall of Famer David Ortiz among those still unsure if the Red... Boston dealt Devers, the face of the franchise and one of the sport’s premier hitters, to the Giants in mid-June for pitchers Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks, as well as minor-league pitcher Jose Bello...

The Red Sox later traded Tibbs, the No. 13 pick in 2024, to the Los Angeles Dodgers for veteran pitcher Dustin May. The Devers trade came over two years after signing an 11-year, $331 million contract extension that would have kept him in Boston through 2033. However, Devers notably refused to move to DH or first base following Alex Bregman’s arrival last spring, though the nine-year vet eventually gave in and spent his final weeks in Boston as a full-time... “Unfortunately, things didn’t work for the organization to be on the right track,” Ortiz told the “ITM Podcast” last week. And unfortunately, sometimes you have to make those moves.

I don’t argue that with the owners. They are the boss. They are the ones who ask you how much you want on your contract. They agreed [on extending Devers]. “But remember, you are an employee,” Ortiz continued. “You’re not a boss.

There are not two bosses. There’s just one. John Henry.” The Boston Red Sox are missing a David Ortiz-like presence in the middle of the order. Ortiz has been gone for nearly a full decade, and though Rafael Devers was never quite Ortiz, he was a very good slugger in his own right. And with Devers in San Francisco, the Red Sox hit the 23rd-most home runs in the majors from June 16 onward this past season.

The two names that have floated around most consistently as fits to fit into the middle of the order and blast 35-plus home runs for the Red Sox next season are Kyle Schwarber and... Either would make a great addition, but if the Red Sox can afford one, it's worth discussing which would be the better fit. If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google. As it turns out, Ortiz himself has some thoughts on the matter. He's rocking with Alonso as the stronger Red Sox fit for lineup balance, though if Alex Bregman re-signs, he doesn't have a strong feeling either way. It’s been nine years since David Ortiz played his final game, but he never stops thinking about what the Red Sox need to win.

The Hall of Fame slugger remains – to borrow a phrase from this year’s squad – ‘tremendously locked in’ on the Red Sox state of affairs. Even as he hosted droves of superstar athletes, celebrities and fans at his 17th annual “Weekend with Papi” Celebrity Golf Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., this weekend, he couldn’t help but offer an... “(Alex) Bregman just went for the free agency, hopefully we can work something out for him,” Ortiz told the Herald over Zoom. “He did it all here. He got really good leadership, he did what we were expecting from him. Even going through some injuries, he represented very well himself and this organization… Hopefully lock him in, because good players are always going to be good players.”

“We know what we need. We probably need a couple more power hitters that give support to the lineup,” Ortiz continued. “Pitching-wise, we are looking really good… I think our front office is going to be on a mission this offseason, because like I said, we are not too far away from facing a World... We just need to try to stay healthy, add a couple of more pieces, and I think we will be good to go.” Ortiz still says ‘We’ when referring to the Red Sox because he never really left. Less than a year after his last game, he signed a ‘forever’ contract to remain with the club in a multifaceted role that includes player mentor, special advisor, and ambassador.

He makes regular appearances at spring training and Fenway Park throughout the seasons. The Boston Red Sox had an interesting season last year. It all started with the Rafael Devers drama, and once he was traded, the team was able to focus fully on baseball again. Even though Devers didn’t want to be just a DH, he was putting up strong numbers before the trade. “It took Devers a while to settle into DH duties, but lately, he's been thriving. He's coming off a nine-game stretch with an OPS over 1.200, but now, his position has once again become a topic of conversation,” SI’s Jackson Roberts wrote.

In an interview on the ITM Podcast, Hall of Famer David Ortiz made it clear he hopes the Red Sox sign Pete Alonso over Kyle Schwarber as the team’s next DH. “Either way you can be satisfied," Ortiz told Joey Copponi and Scott Neville on the "ITM Podcast" on Friday. "You're talking about two monsters. But if I had to pick one, because I have Roman Anthony as a left-handed batter, I would go with a right-handed bat. There are a lot of left-handed power pitchers coming out of the bullpen. Which with these guys, they don't really care.

But you know (opponents) are going to be doing the match-ups. When you have two lefties, one behind the other. I think we've loaded up really well with lefties. One right-handed power hitter to take advantage of the monster, it'll be a plus.” While Alonso has spent his entire career with the New York Mets, his comments during the season suggest he isn’t necessarily thinking about leaving. David “Big Papi” Ortiz, who famously helped end the Red Sox’s 86-year World Series drought during his storied 20-year career with Boston, remains optimistic despite the club’s uneven performance.

Since late June, Boston has posted a disappointing 6–9 record. But Ortiz isn’t sounding the alarm bell just yet. As the MLB trade deadline looms on July 31, the Red Sox icon is urging his former team to be bold and proactive in bolstering their roster. In a recent one-on-one with RG, Ortiz emphasized that Boston has “money available now” and must leverage that financial flexibility. Try PFSN's FREE fantasy baseball trade analyzer to help you make the best decisions for your fantasy teams! “Just focus on what we have right now,” Ortiz told RG.

“Hopefully, some of the players step up, because we have talent… Who is going to continue carrying the torch?” Ortiz stressed that while the move involving Rafael Devers was a strategic shake-up, it’s not... The Boston Red Sox are absolutely hungry for postseason baseball. And when it comes to what that feels like, there’s no one who knows it better than Big Papi himself. David Ortiz didn’t just play in October—he owned it. The Hall of Fame-designated hitter made clutch moments a part of his DNA. His walk-offs?

Legendary. After three years of playoff disappointment, the Boston Red Sox are finally believing they have the roster to get back to October. But what’s even more encouraging? It looks like the moves the Red Sox have made to put themselves back in playoff contention have earned the seal of approval from none other than their former clutch hitter. In an interview with Tom Caron of NESN, Ortiz expressed his opinion as to why this is a different season for the Red Sox. When asked if he thought this team could make one more run in the playoffs, Ortiz wasted no time.

“I think so,” said the Boston icon. “I’ll tell you, I always believe in teams that have good pitching. When you have good pitching, you can slow down offense, and you don’t need a whole lot of offense to be able to win games.” Big Papi is a big believer in the 2025 Red Sox 🔥 “I think [the Red Sox are a playoff team]. I always believe in teams that have good pitching.

… I think we’re back on track with the pitching that we have this year.” pic.twitter.com/GgptBlhsrj The Boston Red Sox are starving to play postseason baseball. And no one knows what that feels like better than franchise icon David Ortiz. The Hall of Fame designated hitter was one of the most clutch players in the history of October baseball during his Red Sox career. His resume includes a handful of walk-offs, a dramatic game-tying grand slam, and a World Series Most Valuable Player Award. Now, after three straight years of playoff disappointment, the Red Sox believe they finally have the roster to make it back to the playoffs, where they rightfully believe they belong, thanks to the standards...

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I don’t argue that with the owners. They are the boss. They are the ones who ask you how much you want on your contract. They agreed [on extending Devers]. “But remember, you are an employee,” Ortiz continued. “You’re not a boss.