How do you try and convince the most polarizing designated hitter in MLB history to stick around for one more season? You get Tom Brady to persuade David Ortiz via Facebook.
If you ask anyone in the greater New England area who the G.O.A.T.’s (Greatest of all time) of Boston are, it won’t be hard to find an answer. I would almost guarantee the names Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady are bound to come up.
One has brought three World Series championships to a baseball town in less than 10 years and broke the Curse of the Bambino. The other has been the leader of one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history for the past 15. Both have been in the news a lot lately; Brady is the centerpiece of one of the most bizarre suspensions in sports history, and Ortiz will finally hang up the spikes after a Hall of Fame career.
Ortiz isn’t just playing in his last season, though. Big Papi is producing MVP-caliber numbers while playing at age 40. In addition, he’s led the Red Sox to a worst-to-first turnaround that carried them into the playoffs. Batting .315 with 38 dingers, he leads the league in RBI’s, doubles, slugging percentage, and OPS. Brady, a Red Sox fan, wanted to see if he could get Big Papi to stick around for another year. He took to Facebook to get the sluggers’ attention.
Wearing a “Retired Not Expired 2016” Ortiz shirt, Brady says, “I’ve loved watching you play over the years — no one is better than you when the pressure is on.”
He continues on to say, “PS – It’s not too late to change your mind, Papi!! Let’s talk…. HA”
Brady is no stranger to pitching potential Boston athletes. This summer he joined the Boston Celtics on a trip to talk to Kevin Durant about possibly forming a big three in the Beantown. This task may be even tougher than the failed Durant pitch.
While Brady is probably completely joking, it’s not unrealistic to try and convince Ortiz to stick around one more season. He’s having one of his best career seasons, and there isn’t really an immediate upgrade at the position that can be found in free agency.
But it seems like Ortiz has his mind made up. He’s assured the media and fans that this year will indeed be his last. After all, wouldn’t it be awkward for him to have to return all the gifts that teams and cities have been giving him the last six months?
Ortiz: 'I'm exhausted. I'm not going to lie to you. This past week caught up to me...I'm so happy it's over so I can focus on what's next'
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) October 2, 2016
You can also tell that Ortiz has trouble running around the bases. He’s said that his feet are wearing out and his head isn’t all there anymore. You can’t blame him, most 40-year-olds are either having a midlife crisis, grilling every Sunday, or trying to figure out how to hack their 13-year-old daughter’s twitter.
Next: David Ortiz's top 10 career moments
At the end of the day, it was pretty cool to see one Boston great reach out to another, especially for the great cause. The city of Boston thanks you, Tom, and I’m sure they hope you’re successful in your “talk.”