Boston Red Sox: David Ortiz Talks Donald Trump

Never shy about speaking his mind, Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz weighs in on presidential candidate Donald Trump.

David Ortiz’s career is winding down with the Boston Red Sox as he prepares for retirement life. He recently sat down and did something he has not done very often throughout his career, talk politics. Ortiz weighed in his thoughts on Donald Trump.

Donald Trump has been none to kind to immigrants regularly, calling them rapists, not our best or brightest, and has continued to talked about his well covered idea of building a wall. Being from the Dominican Republic himself Trump’s comments have not sat well with Ortiz and he sat down and shared his thoughts on the Republican candidate:

"“When you speak like that about us, it’s a slap in the face, I walk around sometimes, and I see Mexican people trying to earn a living in an honest way. And to hear somebody make those kinds of comments, it hits you. I think as Latin people we deserve better. Things have gotten much better in that regard. … As Latin people we deserve respect, no matter where you’re from. And especially our Mexican brothers, who come here willing to do all the dirty work. Latin people here in the United States are the spark plug of the country’s economy. Whoever opposes that is going to lose. And not just Latin people but immigrants. I’m talking about people who come from Africa, from Asia, other places. All those people come here with one goal, to realize the American dream, and you have to include them in our group.”"

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Ortiz’s thoughts on Trump’s comments on immigration are valid considering his background and the amount of influence that David Ortiz carries in Boston. He has made it a point throughout his career to avoid politics as much as possible though, previously admitting more than once that American politics were not his specialty.

The fact that Ortiz was willing to stick his neck out and go on record in such a heated election, if nothing else, shows how much he cares about the issues that Trump is raising. Trump’s plan to build a wall and his comments on specifically Mexican immigrants have angered a lot of people.  David Ortiz may be just a ball player, but he does have a lot of influence in the city of Boston and will help steer some people away from voting for Trump with his recent comments.

Ortiz is not the only Major Leaguer to weigh in on Trump, as Pete Rose has been a strong Trump supporter. It is fair to wonder if that endorsement has hurt Trump more than it has helped? Especially when you stop to consider Pete Rose’s past decisions and the poor judgement he has shown recently as well.

There is no question that Donald Trump is one of the most polarizing figures in the media right now. While the majority of media seems to dislike Trump for his tendency to say things that can come off as racist or make uneducated statements, there is no debating that Trump he a lot of support.

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It is safe to say, however, that Ortiz is not among Trump’s supporters. David Ortiz is having an amazing final season for a 40-year-old player and hopefully will not become distracted by the media’s coverage of his dislike for the Republican candidate.