David Ortiz retirement after 2015 rumor courtesy Gammons

[StuckOnYouk]

By the way Gammons on Francesa just slipped it in quietly that papi is retiring after this year.
They were discussing the influence Papi would have over Hanley and Gammo just said it matter it factly
 
(split from Lester thread, still just idle speculation - smas)

 

[soxhop411]

By the way Gammons on Francesa just slipped it in quietly that papi is retiring after this year.
They were discussing the influence Papi would have over Hanley and Gammo just said it matter it factly

Really?

 

[StuckOnYouk]

Really?

Yes.
But it is hard to believe, why would Ortiz tell him that and give him the green light to make it public?
So I doubt he's right on that

 

[soxhop411]

Yes.
But it is hard to believe, why would Ortiz tell him that and give him the green light to make it public?
So I doubt he's right on that

And I highly doubt he retires if he has as good of a season as last year. If he has a Jeter type season I could see it, but.

 

[smastroyin]

I can actually see Ortiz retiring and the Sox knowing his intention.  But honestly, I doubt he actually retires if he hits between 20 and 33 HR this year.
 
As for Lester, I find it weird that the Cubs are so involved.  Unless they have a lot of money to play with now, they need more than Lester and good luck with prospect development to really be contenders in 2015.  

 

[snowmanny]

I can actually see Ortiz retiring and the Sox knowing his intention.  But honestly, I doubt he actually retires if he hits between 20 and 33 HR this year.

 
So if he has a crappy year or a great year he's gone?

 

[smastroyin]

Ortiz has 466 career HR.  Baseball likes round numbers.  I don't see him retiring if he's within 15 of 500. 

 

[Cellar-Door]

 
So if he has a crappy year or a great year he's gone?

I'm guessing he picked those numbers because it puts him just below 500 career HR, and below 20 means a terrible year or injury that makes him think he won't get 500 the next year.

 

[snowmanny]

Well that makes sense then.  Thanks.

 

[Laser Show]

And I highly doubt he retires if he has as good of a season as last year. If he has a Jeter type season I could see it, but.

Especially since if he does have another good season, he'll likely only need a couple homers in 2015 to reach 500.

 

[Yelling At Clouds]

I feel like the Ortiz discussion merits its own thread. I'd start it, but I'm not the one who heard Gammons say it in the first place.

 

[SoxLegacy]

I actually posited the idea that this might be Ortiz's last season in the 'building a roster' thread. He said he was not interested in a farewell tour last year and perhaps he let the Sox know that he thinks 2015 will be his last ride. Then goes on a recruiting spree to help bring in guys who can help fill his absence in the lineup. The Sox line up Sandoval and Ramirez to play 3B and LF, but they are flexible enough to slide in to 1B (Sandoval) and make room for Cecchini as well as DH.

 

[grimshaw]

There's not much left for him to accomplish.  He's very big on personal numbers so I also think he'd stick around until he hits 500 and force his way into the HoF as the first DH*
 
*Even though Edgar Martinez should be that guy already..

 

[BeantownIdaho]

If he puts up another good season, he will be back again - and as one poster already said - he is going for 500. 

 

[Puffy]

Another thing to consider is that Ortiz has stated pretty emphatically that he does not want to have a Jeter-esque farewell season, so if he plans to retire at some point, he's not likely to make it public until somewhere close to his final games.

 

[67WasBest]

I'm hoping this was a recruiting tool for Papi.  Tell guys, "hey, this will be the last chance to play with Papi, better get on board while you can".  Then he'll have so much fun winning another championship he decides to play another year.
 
Knew the day was coming, but never really wanted to think about it until now.

 

[nighthob]

If he puts up another good season, he will be back again - and as one poster already said - he is going for 500. 

 
Yeah, I don't think he reaches it next year, so I think he's back in 2016 to break 500 and be the first DH and probably the first guy of the steroid era to make it in.

 

[lxt]

I think he would consider it if he could go out on top. If he can put up good numbers and bring another WS to Boston he may consider retiring. Their is nothing like going out on top ... didn't Mussina do that.

 

[Ed Hillel]

I think he would consider it if he could go out on top. If he can put up good numbers and bring another WS to Boston he may consider retiring. Their is nothing like going out on top ... didn't Mussina do that.

 
Nope. He retired after a great season that the Yankees missed the playoffs, and then the Yankees won the World Series the next year.
 
To be clear, the Yankees missing the playoffs was a great season, but Mussina did have a fantastic year in 2008, especially for a 39-year old dude.

 

[snowmanny]

I think he would consider it if he could go out on top. If he can put up good numbers and bring another WS to Boston he may consider retiring. Their is nothing like going out on top ... didn't Mussina do that.

Well, I consider the Yankees failing to make the playoffs "the top" but he probably didn't.

 

[OptimusPapi]

I think he would consider it if he could go out on top. If he can put up good numbers and bring another WS to Boston he may consider retiring. Their is nothing like going out on top ... didn't Mussina do that.

That's interesting. If Ortiz needs 2016 to reach 500 hr but the Sox win the WS in 2015 does he retire in order to go out on top?

 

[MakMan44]

That's interesting. If Ortiz needs 2016 to reach 500 hr but the Sox win the WS in 2015 does he retire in order to go out on top?

I doubt it, he'll probably think he can bring them back to back championships.

 

[smastroyin]

The only guys to retire within 24 of 500 are Lou Gehrig (and we all know about that story) and Fred McGriff.  McGriff didn't leave on his own though, he was basically pushed out of a job, I'm pretty sure he was trying his best to get there.  (And considering that he finished his age 38 season having just brought himself to 478 with a 30 HR season, he's probably still surprised he didn't get there.

 

[NWsoxophile]

I'm not buying it until Papi comes out and confirms it, and after the Gammons comments he'll probably have to address the question sooner than later. By all appearances he still loves his job, is still great at it, and is still very well paid...and the team is poised to be very competitive for the foreseeable future. Plenty of reason to doubt it.

 

[sackamano]

I think he would consider it if he could go out on top. Their is nothing like going out on top ... didn't Mussina do that.

Umm, no ... he did not.

He retired in 2008, the year the Expos won the WS.

 

[lxt]

 
Nope. He retired after a great season that the Yankees missed the playoffs, and then the Yankees won the World Series the next year.
 
To be clear, the Yankees missing the playoffs was a great season, but Mussina did have a fantastic year in 2008, especially for a 39-year old dude.

Your correct. The Yankees I think were 3rd, missed that. Phillies won the Series. I think Mussina had his only 20 Win season with less walks than starts.
 
Edit in Philly winning series.

 

[Luis Taint]

With his contract pretty much settled, I could see him pulling a will he, or wont he, going into the next few spring trainings. I love the guy, but he does have a little Brett Favre in him, attention wise.

 

[Hoplite]

Given Ortiz' personality, I doubt he leaves millions on the table and does not go on a grand retirement circus tour. Maybe if the Red Sox win it all, and he hits 500 career home runs he'll go out on top. But that seems unlikely.

 

[JohntheBaptist]

That is so quintessentially Gammons--drop a huge information bomb like everyone listening is already well aware of it and then don't come back or elaborate on it because--why would he? I mean, you already knew that, right?
 
Gotta love him.

 

[edoug]

He mentioned while talking about why Sandoval chose the Red Sox on Hot Stove. It's about a minute in.
 
<iframe src='http://m.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=36990091&topic_id=8877442&width=400&height=224&property=mlb' width='400' height='224' frameborder='0'>Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe>
 
If the embed doesn't work.
http://m.mlb.com/pit/video/v36990091/gammons-discusses-red-sox-moves-on-hot-stove

 

[SoxInTheMist]

Isn't Gammo essentially == Biden at this point?   Crazy old uncle...

 

[67WasBest]

That is so quintessentially Gammons--drop a huge information bomb like everyone listening is already well aware of it and then don't come back or elaborate on it because--why would he? I mean, you already knew that, right?
 
Gotta love him.

Ya, I give him a pass these days.  I mean the guys brain blew up.  He's been with me like an uncle, and I still like having him around, even if I don't really listen that hard any more.

 

[67WasBest]

He mentioned while talking about why Sandoval chose the Red Sox on Hot Stove. It's about a minute in.
 
<iframe src='http://m.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=36990091&topic_id=8877442&width=400&height=224&property=mlb' width='400' height='224' frameborder='0'>Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe>
 
If the embed doesn't work.
http://m.mlb.com/pit/video/v36990091/gammons-discusses-red-sox-moves-on-hot-stove

I believe he said "thi, next season", like he mispoke and corrected himself.
 
Nothing to see here, move along folks.

 

[NDame616]

I don't care what he's said about a farewell tour, David Ortiz does not strike me as someone who will just come out of nowhere and announce retirement at the end of the year. He's all about stats (not that it's a bad thing) and if he wants any shot at the Hall it'll be with 500 HRs.

 

[E5 Yaz]

I said this earlier in reference to Papi's role in recruiting Sandoval and Hanley, but I could really see a post-retirement Ortiz be the successor to Johnny Pesky ... and be around the team for years

 

[gryoung]

I said this earlier in reference to Papi's role in recruiting Sandoval and Hanley, but I could really see a post-retirement Ortiz be the successor to Johnny Pesky ... and be around the team for years

 
Isn't Ortiz signed through 2016?  If so, he's not going anywhere as he's not going to walk away from 15mm +/-.
 
Once he retires, he's gone south.  We may see him in Boston on occasion, but he's heading back home and other vacation spots.

 

[threecy]

 
Isn't Ortiz signed through 2016?  If so, he's not going anywhere as he's not going to walk away from 15mm +/-.
 
Once he retires, he's gone south.  We may see him in Boston on occasion, but he's heading back home and other vacation spots.

$16 million option in 2016 (club/vesting option on plate appearances) and an unidentified option in 2017 (club option)

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

 
Isn't Ortiz signed through 2016?  If so, he's not going anywhere as he's not going to walk away from 15mm +/-.
 
Once he retires, he's gone south.  We may see him in Boston on occasion, but he's heading back home and other vacation spots.

Have he and Tiffany reconciled? If not, he'll probably want to be somewhere close to his kids.

 

[Lynchie]

Have he and Tiffany reconciled? If not, he'll probably want to be somewhere close to his kids.

I think I recall that they did get back together yes. I also recall him quoted somewhere that he did not want the farewell tour thing. I also know that I'll be damned if I can recall where I read it, so I could be just making it up. Not intentionally though I promise you.

 

[BornToRun]

I think I recall that they did get back together yes. I also recall him quoted somewhere that he did not want the farewell tour thing. I also know that I'll be damned if I can recall where I read it, so I could be just making it up. Not intentionally though I promise you.

I remember him saying the same thing about the farewell tour.

 

[Tharkin]

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/24702026/david-ortiz-says-he-will-not-go-on-a-farewell-tour-when-he-retires
 
From the article:
 
The farewell tour itself is not a new idea. Chipper Jones went through it in 2012 and Mariano Rivera went through it last year. Red Sox slugger David Ortiz doesn't want any of that though. He told Alison Smith of WEEI.com that he doesn't plan to go on any farewell tour before retirement.
 
"What Derek Jeter is doing is fine because he's Derek Jeter,” Ortiz said. “What Mariano did is fine because it's Mariano. But I don't know if I'm going to go through all that. I'm not going to wake up and be like, ‘I'm going to play this year and then not anymore.' To me, it's going to be how things go through the season and how I feel and then I'm going to be like, ‘Mama, it's over.' I'm going to let her know."
 
--------------------------------
 
If Ortiz does decide to announce his retirement before or during a season instead of after, do other teams decide to do farewell tour type activities on their own?  I think he'd see some ceremonies.