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David Ortiz Feted In Final Red Sox Spring Training Home Game

Bonisiwe Shabane
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david ortiz feted in final red sox spring training home game

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Red Sox celebrated David Ortiz's two decades of spring training in Fort Myers with a pregame ceremony before his final home exhibition game, a 5-3 loss to the Orioles on Monday. Ortiz announced on his 40th birthday in November that this will be his final season. He trained in Fort Myers first with the Minnesota Twins and then since 2003 with the Red Sox. Ortiz went 0-for-3 and left after the sixth inning in a golf cart decorated with his number 34 and the flag of the Dominican Republic on its roof. The cart was driven by a pair of former Red Sox starts: Hall of Famer Jim Rice and Luis Tiant.

"Very nice, very nice," Ortiz said. "I've been coming to Fort Myers for a long time. To get to the point where you can get to say goodbye as a player, it's really good. "It's crazy. I wasn't expecting any of it but it happened. Whenever somebody comes to you with a gift, it's always welcomed, right?

The Red Sox and the city of Fort Myers, I really thank them for being so nice." FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Boston celebrated David Ortiz’s two decades of spring training in Fort Myers with a pregame ceremony before his final home exhibition game, a 5-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday. Ortiz announced on his 40th birthday in November that this will be his final season. He trained in Fort Myers with the Minnesota Twins and then since 1993 with the Red Sox. Ortiz went 0 for 3 and left after the sixth inning in a golf cart decorated with his number 34 and the flag of the Dominican Republic on its roof.

The cart was driven by a pair of former Red Sox starts: Hall of Famer Jim Rice and Luis Tiant. “Very nice, very nice,” Ortiz said. “I’ve been coming to Fort Myers for a long time. To get to the point where you can get to say goodbye as a player, it’s really good. “It’s crazy. I wasn’t expecting any of it but it happened.

Whenever somebody comes to you with a gift, it’s always welcomed, right? The Red Sox and the city of Fort Myers, I really thank them for being so nice.” David Ortiz will never play another spring training game, but his name will live on at his team's facility after he retires from baseball. The Red Sox slugger officially kicked off his farewell tour Monday when he was honored in a ceremony ahead of his final home spring training game in Fort Myers, Fla., against the Orioles. To commemorate his career, the team presented him with a David Ortiz Way road sign and announced it will name a street at JetBlue Park after him. He also received a seat from each of the three ballparks he played at during spring training throughout his career.

MORE: Papi's most memorable moments | PHOTOS: Ortiz always goes big The team further showed its gratitude by painting the grass in foul territory with Ortiz’s No. 34 and hanging a sign over the faux Green Monster that read, "THANK YOU, DAVID." Today marks @davidortiz 's final #SoxSpring game at @FenwaySouth ! #ThanksPapi 💪☀️🌴 pic.twitter.com/dRxDt3I38Z FORT MYERS — The 40-year-old was ready to say goodbye.

"I’m not going to miss spring training much,” David Ortiz said Monday afternoon. “I’m not a big fan of spring training anymore. But I really like Fort Myers.” Ortiz fittingly went 0-for-3 in his final game at JetBlue Park on Monday, lowering his spring average to .171. In his 20th major league season, Ortiz is nursing a career .220 batting average and .675 OPS in spring training. But he had a special moment on the field Monday afternoon when the Red Sox and Lee County commissioner John Manning honored Ortiz with a ceremony and a few going-away presents that ended with...

The Florida licence plate attached read, “BIG PAPI.” The golf cart is painted red and blue with No. 34 on the side and the Dominican flag on the roof. Some players were riding it around the Fenway South complex after the game. Send this article to your social connections. Send this article to your social connections.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Boston celebrated David Ortiz’s two decades of spring training in Fort Myers with a pregame ceremony before his final home exhibition game, a 5-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday. Ortiz announced on his 40th birthday in November that this will be his final season. He trained in Fort Myers with the Minnesota Twins and then since 1993 with the Red Sox. Gift #1: @davidortiz now has his own road at @FenwaySouth! David Ortiz Way!

#ThanksPapi 💪 pic.twitter.com/0yIRC5tamL FORT MYERS, Fla. -- David Ortiz should probably get used to this. On the occasion of his final spring training home game Monday, the retiring Boston Red Sox slugger was feted with a 10-minute pregame ceremony and showered with going-away presents, including a personalized golf cart... "Whenever somebody comes to you with a gift, it's always welcomed, right?" Ortiz said. "The Red Sox and the city of Fort Myers, I really thank them for being so nice."

Consider this a prelude to the farewell tour that will follow Ortiz through his final season. He likely will be honored in every ballpark across the majors in a fashion similar to New York Yankees icons Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter in 2013 and 2014, respectively. In the Fort Myers version, Ortiz's No. 34 was painted along both foul lines and a "THANK YOU DAVID" banner was posted on the replica Green Monster. The Red Sox and Lee County commissioner John Manning presented Ortiz with a seat from each of Fort Myers' three ballparks -- Hammond Stadium (Minnesota Twins), City of Palms Park (the Red Sox' former...

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The cart was driven by a pair of former Red Sox starts: Hall of Famer Jim Rice and Luis Tiant. “Very nice, very nice,” Ortiz said. “I’ve been coming to Fort Myers for a long time. To get to the point where you can get to say goodbye as a player, it’s really good. “It’s crazy. I wasn’t expecting any of it but it happened.

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