David Ortiz will retire at end of 2016 season.
- Thread starter soxhop411
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The link also mentioned the only other team not to do this was the Braves, where he's played something like 6 games.
Seems pretty hilariously petty but hardly worth worrying about I guess. Hopefully he has an epic final series there and pimps his face off after each HR.
Seems pretty hilariously petty but hardly worth worrying about I guess. Hopefully he has an epic final series there and pimps his face off after each HR.
I'll be there Saturday night and will be honoring Papi every time he comes up to the plate. So will every other Sox fan, which will be more than half the attendance. Screw the Rays.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2016/09/17/someone-trying-get-thousands-moon-david-ortiz-yankee-stadium/cHuyE5V6muJkRSI1hd1ZbO/story.html
"Someone is trying convince thousands of Yankees fans to moon Red Sox slugger David Ortiz on Sept. 29, during what could be Big Papi’s final game against the Bronx Bombers.
The website moonbigpapi.com is trying to organize at least 10,000 people to show Ortiz their backsides during that game."
http://www.moonbigpapi.com
should be easy to organize there are usually 30,000 assholes at the toilet any given game.
"Someone is trying convince thousands of Yankees fans to moon Red Sox slugger David Ortiz on Sept. 29, during what could be Big Papi’s final game against the Bronx Bombers.
The website moonbigpapi.com is trying to organize at least 10,000 people to show Ortiz their backsides during that game."
http://www.moonbigpapi.com
should be easy to organize there are usually 30,000 assholes at the toilet any given game.
I was thinking of starting a different thread, but perhaps as someone who doesn't post so often this should be best left to dopes and well-known posters. The title of the thread would be "The Last of the One of the Twenty-five." For those newer to these parts, after members of the 2004 post-season team left the Sox, we would dedicate a thread to them. Papi will be the last one of those 25. I'd so love to see him go out with a 4th ring.
That would be a great book title ("The Last One of the Twenty-five") ... to encompass his career from 2003-2016.
It seems like Rays players have had their say and Tampa now plans to have a ceremony for Ortiz.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2016/09/16/rays-rethink-decision-not-honor-ortiz/YHBrw1i45rn6UKHTD8KpsN/story.html
https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2016/09/16/rays-rethink-decision-not-honor-ortiz/YHBrw1i45rn6UKHTD8KpsN/story.html
I don't know how much Longoria had to do with it, but he seems like an all around good dude.
Good for them. Classy move by the Rays players. You'd think Longoria would have at least a grudging respect for Ortiz as a long time rival, if not actual love for the man. I have little doubt that he had a strong voice in this. Hate the guy when he's good against us which is often, but never detected a hint of douchiness from him over all these years.
His farewell season has been absolutely insane, even in terms of his overall career.
- Likely to achieve his highest hit total since 2007
- Lead the league in doubles (47), his highest total since 2007 (52)
- 35 home runs, two short of his total last year, which was his highest since 2006
- His 118 RBI total is his highest since driving in 138 in 2006
- Nearly has a 1.00 BB/K rate (74 BB vs 75 K)
- His .317 batting average is the highest he's had in a full season since 2007 (.332, he had a .318 average in an injury shortened 2012) - second highest batting average of his career
- And his .403 OBP is his also his highest since 2007...
- And his league leading .630 SLG is the second highest of his career, next to his 54 HR 2006 season.
- He also has the highest OPS in the league at 1.034, bested only by his insane 2006 and 2007 seasons.
I really wish he'd reconsider retirement.
- Likely to achieve his highest hit total since 2007
- Lead the league in doubles (47), his highest total since 2007 (52)
- 35 home runs, two short of his total last year, which was his highest since 2006
- His 118 RBI total is his highest since driving in 138 in 2006
- Nearly has a 1.00 BB/K rate (74 BB vs 75 K)
- His .317 batting average is the highest he's had in a full season since 2007 (.332, he had a .318 average in an injury shortened 2012) - second highest batting average of his career
- And his .403 OBP is his also his highest since 2007...
- And his league leading .630 SLG is the second highest of his career, next to his 54 HR 2006 season.
- He also has the highest OPS in the league at 1.034, bested only by his insane 2006 and 2007 seasons.
I really wish he'd reconsider retirement.
If he continues this torrid September pace and finishes this hot...
He might end up having the best league-adjusted offensive (purely hitting) season of his career. OPS+, wRC+, etc.
It's absolutely insane and preposterous that he's generating this kind of offense at 40.
He might end up having the best league-adjusted offensive (purely hitting) season of his career. OPS+, wRC+, etc.
It's absolutely insane and preposterous that he's generating this kind of offense at 40.
Is there a good reason why David Ortiz will NOT be named as Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year in early December? I mean, I assume this is settled.
The MLB PLUS broadcast tonight after the HR that we should find a way to keep him.
I think his mind is made up still no matter what, even if he finishes with like 42 HR and 135 RBI
I think his mind is made up still no matter what, even if he finishes with like 42 HR and 135 RBI
Or (ugh) LeBron James. Dammit, it was 100% Steph Curry's award if he hadn't gotten hurt in the playoffs, lost game 7, and skipped the Olympics to recover from the injury. Huge Papi and Red Sox fan, too...
I'm all for a "Legend" roster spot where all teams can add a 26th player each season with the proviso that as a hitter they can't get more than X (250?) plate appearances or pitch more than Y (100?) innings.
The Legend spot can be swapped in and out with any other player on the 25 man roster (player for player, pitcher for pitcher) without it counting as a transaction or an option, allowing a player like Ortiz to play just home games or every other game or whatever works best for him and his team.
The Legend would also have to have had at least Z (10?) years on a teams' roster to be eligible to be that team's Legend, and his salary wouldn't count against the cap or luxury tax rules. You can't trade 'em and you can't replace 'em if they get hurt so you'd want to carefully chose the guy.
Many teams might chose not to have a Legend due to lack of appropriate person out there or to save money or whatever.
And yes, I just made this up and am operating on little sleep the last two nights.
The Legend spot can be swapped in and out with any other player on the 25 man roster (player for player, pitcher for pitcher) without it counting as a transaction or an option, allowing a player like Ortiz to play just home games or every other game or whatever works best for him and his team.
The Legend would also have to have had at least Z (10?) years on a teams' roster to be eligible to be that team's Legend, and his salary wouldn't count against the cap or luxury tax rules. You can't trade 'em and you can't replace 'em if they get hurt so you'd want to carefully chose the guy.
Many teams might chose not to have a Legend due to lack of appropriate person out there or to save money or whatever.
And yes, I just made this up and am operating on little sleep the last two nights.
I'm not usually a fan of armchair psychology, but I think that his mind being made up could be one of the reasons he's hitting so well.
I think this is exactly it. He's leaving nothing behind this year. He can put everything he's got left into this year because he knows next year he can rest.
He is giving us a perfect, exquisite, storybook finish to a perfect, exquisite, storybook career. I just don't understand the impulse that insists on having more. It's like getting to the end of Beethoven's 9th and saying "why did they stop?".
Exactly. This is awesome. It would suck if he came back for one more season and hit .250 with no power while battling injuries next year and THEN retired.
Could be ... but then, hypothetically, wouldn't that apply to next season as well, if in the offseason he decided to give it another go?
As far as SI Sportsman of the Year ... I'd imagine for him to leap ahead of Phelps, Bolt, LeBron, Djokovic, Serena et al., the Sox would have to win it all, with him hitting at least two or three memorable inverted-outfielder/exultant-policeman-style HRs. Ya never know...
Honestly I'm finding all the begging for him to stay on another year to be somewhat crass. The man has delivered a HoF-level career for Boston fans already, he's in a great deal of pain and he wants to leave on his own terms. For crissakes let's just let him do that.
Well, heck, if he's feeling good come July or August next year, couldn't he un-retire?
I agree. He did an interview the other day where he expressed a bit of regret for announcing his retirement when he did. Not because he regrets retiring, but he regrets the added attention he's getting and the demands on his time it created. Just based on that, I can't see where he'd want to go through it all again by coming back next year.
He's tired. He's in pain. Yet he's having one his best seasons ever. We all need to just sit back and enjoy it.
Zero chance it's Phelps, who's already won (no need for a lifetime achievement trophy) and only won one [edit: sorry, two] individual medal this time around. Only slightly better chance for Bolt; SI loves Murrica.
I'd say 90% chance it's a woman. Either Biles/Gymnastics Team, or Ledecky.
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The funny thing is I bet if he hadn't announced his retirement at the beginning of the year there would be plenty of posters on here clamoring about how Papi is going to want too much in the off-season to come back and be mediocre because there is no way he can keep this up into his 40s.
If I'm not mistaken, his current contract includes a team option for 2017 worth, based on escalators tied to his plate appearances this year, a minimum of $15M. So no need for talk about how much he'd want. It's on paper already.
We've all seen athletes announce their retirement and then unretired - sometimes multiple times. I don't see that with Papi. Sure, another $8 - $10m after taxes and agent fees is difficult for anyone to pass up, but I think he's made up his mind on this. At least he gives every indication that that's the case.
I also think a side-effect of these retirement tours is that it locks a guy in to retiring or else looking a bit ridiculous. Can anyone recall a player unretiring after one of these major send-offs? Who else has had one besides Jeter, Fruitbat, Chipper and Cal (somewhat)? Even in other sports I can only think of Kobe.
I went to Yastrzemski's last game in '83 (they put him in LF for the only time that year - when he fielded a grounder that made it through the IF his throw back in barely made it to the cutoff man - the crowd was stunned into silence for a beat or two and then politely clapped...) When the game ended he ran a lap around Fenway and high-5'd the fans the whole way - that was the extent of a retirement tour back then though it gave me chills all the same.
I also think a side-effect of these retirement tours is that it locks a guy in to retiring or else looking a bit ridiculous. Can anyone recall a player unretiring after one of these major send-offs? Who else has had one besides Jeter, Fruitbat, Chipper and Cal (somewhat)? Even in other sports I can only think of Kobe.
I went to Yastrzemski's last game in '83 (they put him in LF for the only time that year - when he fielded a grounder that made it through the IF his throw back in barely made it to the cutoff man - the crowd was stunned into silence for a beat or two and then politely clapped...) When the game ended he ran a lap around Fenway and high-5'd the fans the whole way - that was the extent of a retirement tour back then though it gave me chills all the same.
Wouldn't matter. If he were to come back he could easily say he wouldn't consider it for less than $20m (which was what by $8 - 10m after taxes and fees was based on). All behind closed doors, of course, and if it happened the Sox could say the extra $5m was a 'lifetime achievement bonus' or whatever or else donate that amount to Dominican disaster relief charities or some such.
I don't think any of that is in the cards however.
Oh, no begging here. This a perfect, storybook swan song that I have no interest in him mucking up with a pointless sequel. Just noting that in he unlikely event he felt better and had a change of heart in the offseason (which does occasionally happen) the same logic of "leaving nothing behind" for the following season would still apply.
I agree with this and also think there's a small chance Biles splits it with Simone Manuel
I'm not sure if I hate retirement tours more or less than the unretirement drama that follows certain players for several years in a row (Clemens, Pettitte, Favre)
I'm with SJH on this one. Stop the nonsense about wanting him to come back. None of us really knows what he's put his body through just to give us this season. And yet it's taken as a given that if he were to come back next season, the production would continue?
Appreciate this greatness, but it's time for him -- and his fans -- to move on
Appreciate this greatness, but it's time for him -- and his fans -- to move on
One other in the NBA. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a season-long farewell tour with gifts and ceremonies at each stop. IIRC.
On SI-SOY: assuming "already having won" is a factor — and I suspect it's a huge one, since the only multiple winner in the 60+ year history of the award is Tiger Woods — that eliminates LeBron (2012) and Phelps (2008), and at least partially eliminates Ortiz, who earned 1/25th of the 2004 award.
Maybe I'm biased by having watched more track and field than gymnastics this summer, but I kinda feel like it should be Bolt ... no? Greatest sprinter ever, totally beloved and venerated worldwide, has never won the award, and this is their last chance to give it him. I'm sure Murrica is a factor, but it didn't prevent them from selecting Bobby Orr in '70, Gretzky in '82, Johann Olav Koss in '94, or Sosa in '98.
Anyway, I vote Bolt.
Maybe I'm biased by having watched more track and field than gymnastics this summer, but I kinda feel like it should be Bolt ... no? Greatest sprinter ever, totally beloved and venerated worldwide, has never won the award, and this is their last chance to give it him. I'm sure Murrica is a factor, but it didn't prevent them from selecting Bobby Orr in '70, Gretzky in '82, Johann Olav Koss in '94, or Sosa in '98.
Anyway, I vote Bolt.
IIRC he did that lap around the field high five-ing the crowd after the last two games.
The first I remember was John Havlicek, who had a brief ceremony in every city his last year.
The only way this happens is if you announce your retirement before the season starts like Ortiz and Jeter. Willie Mays announced his retirement in September. Larry Bird waited until after the Olympics to say he was done. Mike Schmidt retired mid-year.
The best way to honor Ortiz is probably to be happy for him, happy that he is retiring while he can still walk.
Papi seems very much at peace with his decision to call it a day after this season. He pretty much reiterated the physical toll being placed on his body during another interview yesterday. He'll have the satisfaction of going out on top, which few athletes get to do.
The only possible wild card is if he honestly felt another season would significantly improve his chances at getting into Cooperstown. I tend to doubt it would; the small minded anti-DH and low information "failed a PED test" voters would not change their minds. Neither would those that see a guy with a 0.932 career OPS and nearly 550 home runs. Not sure 25 more HR's and 90 more RBI improve his chances very much.
The only possible wild card is if he honestly felt another season would significantly improve his chances at getting into Cooperstown. I tend to doubt it would; the small minded anti-DH and low information "failed a PED test" voters would not change their minds. Neither would those that see a guy with a 0.932 career OPS and nearly 550 home runs. Not sure 25 more HR's and 90 more RBI improve his chances very much.
The higher his HR total, the more doubles he hits, and the more age-related records he breaks, the greater the reason for him to retire, as announced, at the end of this year. What a way to leave! Just like the man himself: extraordinary and incomparable.
Orr, Gretzky, and Sosa all played in primarily US Pro sports leagues, of course. Koss was a co-winner in a year where he won three golds in insanely different distances, and set world records in all three. Plus, MLB was on strike, and Jordan was playing minor league baseball, making it feel like an asterisk NBA season. It was basically a fluke year.
Think about some of the non-Americans who never won the award. Roger Federer, Steffi Graf, Pele . . .
I agree that Bolt should take it, based on wrapping up his career as the fastest human being in the history of human beings. But if we take the series and Papi puts on a show, maybe they split? Mostly I'm thinking that if Papi can't win it now, who's the next baseball player that could even be in consideration? Lifetime achievement award for Trout in fifteen years?