David Ortiz will retire at end of 2016 season.

bosockboy

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Best summation of Papi: Not the greatest Red Sox player ever (although Top 5), but the Red Sox franchise MVP. He changed our universe.
 

RedOctober3829

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Papi has been the most important Red Sox player ever. He gave us a belief that we could win the World Series. Not only 1, but 3 in 13 years. Undoubtedly the most clutch baseball player of this generation. On the pantheon of elite Boston athletes with Bird, Russell, Orr, Williams, and Brady. A Hall of Fame person off the field with his foundation. Always willing to mentor young players whether a Red Sox or not. This is our Fu*king City! Best last season in baseball history.

I am so lucky that I got to witness greatness for so long. Thank you for pouring your heart and soul out for us you will never be forgotten in these parts may you enjoy retirement but keep in shape. We could use a DH next August 31st for the stretch run!
 

Plympton91

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I am just so sad. Ortiz in tears on the mound at Fenway after a loss. No new chapter in his HOF program. I wish it didn't ever have to end, but the era is over. So much joy from that one man. We got more than we deserved from him and I'm sure he'll continue to give in retirement. Godspeed David. May you continue to experience Hall of Fame success in whatever you do with the rest of your life.
 

steveluck7

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I remember the beginning of 2003 and watching him platoon with Jeremy Giambi and talking to my friend saying "Ortiz just hits the ball hard, if he gets some at bats, he could be good."
Fast forward to today watching his press conference thinking that I'm going to be talking about him to my now 3 yr. old and 3 month old sons the way my grandfather talks about Ted Williams and my dad talked about Yaz.
He may not be the player Williams was but he's our Ted Williams.

Edit: damn... now someone needs to dust this room
 

hurst86mvp

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I've been watching and loving sports for 40-ish years. If I were to tabulate my all-time Top 10 best/favorite moments, David Ortiz would be in at *least* three of them. Much more importantly, he made me feel like a giddy little boy, which any adult should cherish, but especially a long-suffering Red Sox fan who, after '78, '86 and '03, seriously wondered if he would ever see his team win a World Series in his lifetime. Ortiz was a primary reason the Sox won 3 in 10 years.

I've debated, good-naturedly and in earnest, if he's HOF worthy (100% yes), but it's ultimately irrelevant: for one thing he has the rings, the hardware and the eternal gratitude of fans. For another, he had a blast playing the game he loved. But mostly, he adored the city that came to worship him, and he reminded us all that passion, commitment and joy are all required to combine excellence and ecstasy.

Thank you, for everything, Big PAPI!
 

RG33

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My 4-year old who could care less about baseball just saw Papi on the mound crying. She asked my 6-year old, "why is he crying"? And she responded "Because Big Papi is retiring.". My 4 year old asked "Why?" and my 6-year old said "I don't know. He is still really good."
 
Nov 24, 2015
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To be honest, I am still in a great deal of shock right now. I was at the game tonight and watching him go to the mound after the game was heartbreaking. I had tears from the moment they walked him in the 8th thru the end of the game. I am 37 and been a diehard since 86. Between Pedro, Manny and The Large Father, these three Dominican stars really changed the perspective and landscape of what it meant to play in Boston in the mid-90's thru today. It's been a couple of hours after the game and I am still emotional about it. My goodness do I love Big Papi. I've seen so many of his massive hits and danced and celebrated them. I don't know what I am going to do next February. It isn't going to be real to see the team without him. Not sure how I am going to deal with this going forward....sorry that this is an emotional post but I don't know what else to do right now....
 

bosockboy

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Can't help but harken back to the 2003-2004 postseasons. There will never ever be a two year passion play like that again. We will never experience those feelings again. Papi turned this franchise around those two years. Damn I'm gonna miss him fiercely.
 

jmcc5400

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Thank you, David. And sorry I thought Jeremy Giambi was the more noteworthy signing. I was gloriously wrong.
 

BigSoxFan

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It really isn't going to sink in for me until April 2017. Ending sucked but absolutely awesome that he led the league in OPS in his last season. Just a tremendous player and seemingly person and a huge void to fill. The young guys got the training on what it takes to be a leader. It's officially Pedroia's team now.
 

DaveRoberts'Shoes

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My son is five, and he will always know who Big Papi is and he might even remember some of his walkoffs we saw together.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty goddamn happy about that.
 

redsox3g2

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It really isn't going to sink in for me until April 2017. Ending sucked but absolutely awesome that he led the league in OPS in his last season. Just a tremendous player and seemingly person and a huge void to fill. The young guys got the training on what it takes to be a leader. It's officially Pedroia's team now.
This. Right now it's sad but it isn't real yet. Spring training will be a new step and when it first sets in, but I'm very proud and happy he was able to go out with a hell of a year.
 

Sox and Rocks

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My son is five, and he will always know who Big Papi is and he might even remember some of his walkoffs we saw together.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty goddamn happy about that.
Sports are like a soundtrack for life. I married my wife in 2004, obviously a memorable year for the Sox. At the time we had no plans for children. Many years later, we had our first son, also now five, and he, too, knows who big Papi is and cheers for him when the game is on. In 2013, my wife was pregnant with our 2nd son who was born a few weeks after the series ended.

It's ironic, but my best moments in life have been framed by Sox championships and huge moments from Big Papi.
 

Tartan

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I was 17 when they won in 2004. Getting to share that with my dad and my grandparents, who had gone so much longer without seeing them win, was one of the best moments in my life. This year I weathered the worst three month stretch of my life, losing my grandmother suddenly, then watching my mom lose her battle with cancer. My mom was never a baseball fan, but she cared about the Red Sox because my dad and I did. She was there rooting with me for all three championships. And Papi's season this year was a something purely joyful, something that could offer my dad and me a distraction from the grief. I'm sad the season is over, but honestly, my gratitude- to Papi above all- outweighs the sadness. Getting to root for him has been a delight that has lasted so much longer than we can expect any delight to last. Thank you, Papi. Thank you so much.
 

sheamonu

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Don't get me wrong - I love the championships and those years will always have that bit extra - but I'm more of a "seasons" guy and have never really viewed a year that I enjoyed watching as a "losing" year just because we didn't happen to win the last game played in October. Watching the progress of the team from spring to fall, remembering the high points, savoring the way it sets anticipations for the year to come, watching as individual players achieve career or individual goals or for the unexpected moment (Lowe throws a no-no, Nava hits a grand slam in his first at bat) - I love that shit. The 1972 season remains one of my favorites just because as a young kid I remember what it was like going in to that final set of games with the Tigers, knowing that if we won 2 of 3 we'd win the division - becoming acquainted with the new catcher, watching Rico and Yaz, hearing the "Loooie" chant for the first time, all the talk about the young outfielders on their way up like some guy named Evans who was around at the end of the year. It didn't matter that we lost (well - it mattered but it didn't detract from the experience). I just really still have a soft spot for that season. I feel the same way about this year in a lot of ways. The ending is harder though because, let's face it, we didn't want it to end. Watching the big man this year was a treat - all the hype, all the pressure - and, Jesus Christ, he was just magnificent. There has never been any player that has bestowed as many classic moments on a city than he has for Boston. Someone above said it best - we are blessed. Thank you David Ortiz.
 

Skiponzo

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Too many great on field moments to pick from so I'll add a personal off field one to the mix. Game 2 2013 ALCS, we all know what happened. His slam came just minutes after I put my then 10 and 7 year old boys to bed. They came running out of their respective rooms when they heard me screaming "HE DID IT AGAIN!" and we all rejoiced like, well, little kids. Fast forward to the ninth inning of WS game 6. All three of us are on our feet bouncing around as the commercials end and they show Koji on the mound. My 7 year old slowly turns to me and says "It's about to get really loud in here dad." David Ortiz is one of the primary reasons that moment was allowed to happen and I will never forget it or him.
 

Doooweeeey!

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I will have a hard time coming to grips with his career being over.
But change is eternal.
And I am thankful.
I got to watch David Ortiz profoundly rewrite the experience of being a Red Sox fan.
I'll carry with me the joy he expressed through his play.
 

BaseballJones

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What do you guys think about the Sox taking Ortiz on as part of the coaching staff? Seems to connect really well with the young players. Helps that he's Hispanic. Obviously full of knowledge. Loves the game. Loves being a teacher. Highly respected at all levels of the organization.

Thoughts?
 

E5 Yaz

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I expect you'll see him in spring training for a couple weeks each year, and maybe a little more than that, but that will be about it.
Agreed. Like Yaz, I suspect Ortiz is one of those who won't mind not having to put on a uniform
 

pokey_reese

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I keep opening this thread, and then reading the comments and leaving without adding one. I'm really afraid that, even though Ortiz will never read it, my words will fail to convey all that he has meant over the last 13 years to me, and my friends, and the city. In that way, I am afraid that I won't do him justice, that I will let him down in a way that he never let me down. I should probably be embarrassed by the number of my strongest memories that revolve around him, or the fact that I got more choked up during his last ABs (or even just reading this thread) than I did when people close to me have passed on. Even now, just the idea that he won't be in the starting lineup on opening day 2017 doesn't seem right, and trying to force myself to confront that reality is putting a lump in my throat. I'm gonna miss the hell out of that guy.

I was home this past week taking care of my dad, who recently had a quadruple bypass. He can't really do anything, so I was making him dinner during the last game, alternating between the MLB.tv feed on my laptop in the kitchen and running into the other room whenever Ortiz came up. My dad always lived in New England, but was never a big sports fan, but even he was talking about how Ortiz was a legendary figure, and would be missed more than any other sports figure in his lifetime (he's in his 60s). He commuted into the city for most of Ortiz's career, and he spent a lot of time in line at the tolls over the years. He really believes that the way people act in traffic, and especially treat the toll takers (with all of whom he is on a first name basis), can tell you a lot about a person's character. So of course, one of his favorite things to tell people this week is about how he saw David Ortiz a few times, years ago, at the tolls when you get off the Pike to head into Cambridge. It really delighted him that Ortiz would a.) drive a car that was nice, but not flashy by any means (he thought it was an Oldsmobile or something), but more importantly would stop and make jokes with the toll takers, and sign autographs, and take pictures with them. He said that he saw Ortiz outside of the ballpark a handful of times over the years, and that every time he was kind, gracious and friendly, and not just with important people, but especially with normal people who the rest of society so often overlooks. My dad is a man with a general disdain for pro athletes, and the rich & famous in general, but he has always said that he thought Ortiz was a genuinely great guy, even though he didn't watch him play or know him personally. He's not a man who throws that kind of praise around lightly, and it has always struck me.

Everyone loves David Ortiz. It doesn't matter what you do, or who you are, or what team you root for (unless it's the Yankees, I guess). Everyone who has met him seems to have a story about a big hug or a big laugh. What he did on the field was amazing, but just a part of what made him a legend in Boston, and one that will be sorely missed if he steps out of the spotlight. I hope that he finds a way to keep being in my life once he has enjoyed a well-earned break, but until then, I will just have to satisfy myself by watching commercials that he is in on Youtube (just one more thing I should be embarrassed about doing), and trying not to cry remembering him while I sit in LAX...

Thanks for everything, David.
 

Papelbon's Poutine

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Agreed. Like Yaz, I suspect Ortiz is one of those who won't mind not having to put on a uniform
I'm not old enough to know anything about Yaz, but Ortiz strikes me as the kind that enjoys being around the young guys and, well literally, being Big Papi to them. Neither road would shock me but I tend to think he will want to have some part in grooming the youth of the franchise and I genuinely think he loves the city. He may not be a coach in uniform but I think after a rest he will be like Pedro. Or at least I hope he will.
 

HriniakPosterChild

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"It became more and more apparent that he was in a great deal of pain, so I was asked to get involved with that and examine him. He was in extraordinary pain. He was playing in warrior mode in order to get through it. Once we started talking to him and he opened up, he said his ankles were on fire, and that was a pretty good description of what was going on, clinically. The amount of pain was so intense."
http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/rob-bradford/2016/10/20/inside-story-injury-eventually-helped-end-dav
 

HurstSoGood

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"First base activity was also taxing on him," Dyrek said. "The tissue, like the joint restrictions, tendons and scar tissues, they only have a certain amount of tolerance for activities, and they have to learn how to tolerate that activity. If you suddenly spike the activity, they go backward. They lose some of their ground. So playing first base was like a sudden spike of activity. There were times I said there was no reason for him to be playing first base, so at the end of the season he wasn't playing."

Man, I actually feel bad for even thinking that Papi needed to play first for us [Gotta get him on the field against NL teams!]. Every time he'd foul a ball off his foot must have been excruciating. "Exhibit A" of "leaving it all on the field."

Reminded me of a conversation I had with a PT/Trainer who worked on Mike Cameron when he was rehabbing with the Sea Dogs. She told me how fans tend to assume that so many pro athletes "should be able to suck it up or recover faster from injures." She described Cameron as having the densest muscle structure she's ever worked on and that he was dealing with as-bad (or worse) pains than any normal person could take.

Anyways, I hope Large Father finds renewed health and continued happiness in retirement.
Thanks for everything, David. You will be missed.
 

reggiecleveland

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Mike Lowell famously pissed off Remy with the reality that there is not enough money for star players to be coaches or announcers. I can't imagine Ortiz would put up with the travel, etc on full time basis.
 

Mueller's Twin Grannies

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He also won it in 2005, when he turned in an MVP year...but lost it to the best player in the league*.

I expect this means he won't be winning the MVP this year either. Maybe he didn't deserve it over the Baseball Jesus or Mookie, but it's a real shame he will go his entire career without a single MLB MVP Award simply because he was "just" a DH for so long. Ah well, congrats to Big Papi on a much-deserved honor. It's really something to do it in his final year, too.

*Edited because I had a massive memory lapse.
 
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Papelbon's Poutine

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Um, I think you're mixing up your years. Arod was on the division winning Yankees when he won MVP in 2005.

But yeah man, if you can't see that ARod had a better year than Ortiz in 2005 - even discounting defense - then not sure what to tell you. Of course, I can't even tell if you know what you're looking at so there's that.

I love Papi with the fire of a thousands suns, but unless he blows the field away offensively, the MVP shouldn't be someone who only contributes to 50% of the game.
 

Mueller's Twin Grannies

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Yup, you're right and I'm not even sure how I mixed that up given what happened the postseason before that year. I was thinking of his winning it in Texas a couple years before that. And you're right: A-Rod did contribute more that year than Ortiz because he was a position player and was the deserving winner. I think 2003 was the year I'm thinking of, though I recall that the outrage was more because he finished so far down in the voting despite having a demonstrably better season than nearly everyone else who finished above him while the award went to a last-place team's best player.

My overall point, though, was that the DH bias being held against him for so long that it possibly cost him an MVP Award is a shame for a guy who basically redefined the position and is most likely to be the first pure one voted in if Edgar Martinez doesn't squeak in in the meantime.

But I apologize for the misplaced aggression.
 

JohntheBaptist

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He did not have a better season than Rodriguez in 2003 either, not even by a long shot. Ortiz was the 5th best player on his own team by WAR. Not sure there's a year you could say he was "robbed," actually. 2006 it certainly shouldn't have been Morneau but Ortiz wasn't even better than Hafner that year, and Rodriguez had a higher OPS and WAR in 2007.
 

Mueller's Twin Grannies

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I know he didn't and I wasn't saying that he did, but that he did better, production-wise and offensively, than several others who finished above him in the voting.

Yes, 2006 was a disappointing result all around.