Boston Red Sox: David Ortiz Regrets Announcing His Retirement Early
By Ryan Schultz
Pregame tribute ceremonies are making Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz have second thoughts about announcing his retirement before the season.
It was major news when 40-year-old Boston Red Sox first baseman and designated hitter David Ortiz announced that he would retire after the completion of the 2016 season. Ortiz’ decision to retire was not surprising, considering how much turmoil he has put his body through over the years. The most recent and noteworthy player to announce his retirement before the season began was Derek Jeter. He appeared to have no regrets about his decision as he enjoyed the fanfare that accompanied his final season of a great career.
Big Papi doesn’t feel quite the same way. One of Ortiz’ best qualities has always been his work ethic; he is the first one to show up, and the last one to leave. Even at age 40, Ortiz shows up to the ballpark hours early to work on his game.
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When a player announces his retirement before the beginning of the season, teams rightfully want to honor the player when he makes his final appearance at each stadium. It is a nice gesture from teams to recognize the great career of a player. However, Ortiz is not a fan of the pregame ceremonies everywhere he goes.
As a player who appreciates and requires a sufficient warm-up before the game, Ortiz is burdened by attending pregame ceremonies as he makes his final trip through the American League. Ortiz is grateful for the way he has been treated throughout the season, no doubt about it. However, the constant attention brought to Ortiz during his final season is too much of a distraction for the aging hitter attempting to keep his game at an elite level.
In a recent interview with ESPN Deportes he talked about his frustration with the celebrations along with his injury struggles. At age 40 it is completely understandable that Ortiz goes through a daily struggle fighting against his own body. It is apparent when he gets hits and is forced to run the bases. David Ortiz is ready to finish.
All things considered, Ortiz is doing incredibly well for a player that says he is annoyed by the fanfare and fighting his aging body. Big Papi is having a classic Big Papi year in his final season. He is hitting .342/.423/.710 with 18 home runs and he leads Major League Baseball in extra base hits. In his final season, Ortiz is putting up numbers that he only put up during his prime and in some ways is even out-playing those years.
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Ortiz regrets his decision to create a year long celebration for his retirement, but he’s certainly not showing it on the field. The season that Ortiz is having could go down as one of the best final seasons by a player ever. In the end, it’s incredibly impressive that Ortiz has been able to perform at such a high level with an aging body and games full of distractions.