A Thought for Big Papi

As a longtime Boston Red Sox fan who saw many of David Ortiz's exploits in person, my heart leapt into my throat when I learned he had been shot in his native Dominican Republic this evening.

Initial reports indicated Big Papi had been shot in the leg during a robbery. However, video footage from an amusement center showed Ortiz being shot in the back. This was no robbery.

As of this writing, doctors have indicated that Ortiz is out of danger while local authorities also indicated that he is in stable condition.

Ortiz, 43, played 20 seasons in MLB first with the Minnesota Twins before joining the Red Sox in 2003. Big Papi earned 10 AL All-Star Team selections, seven Silver Slugger Awards, drove in 100 or more runs 10 times leading the AL in RBI twice, led the AL in walks twice, led the AL in HR with a Red Sox club record 54 dingers in 2006 and, of course, led the Red Sox to three World Series titles in 2004, 2007 and 2013. The 2013 season is also remembered for the Boston Marathon Bombing and how Big Papi used the F-word to rally the city.

Ortiz retired following the 2016 season with a .286 lifetime batting average, 541 HR and 1768 RBI and is eligible for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022. More than any other player in Red Sox history, he was responsible from turning the franchise from that was cursed to won that has won more championships than any other teams this century. In a city that has seen many beloved sports figures from Bill Russell to Bobby Orr to Tom Brady, David Ortiz is the most beloved of them all.

Needless to say, Ortiz's shooting cast a pall on the joy of Boston Bruins fans after the Bruins forced a seventh game of the Stanley Cup against the St. Louis Blues. Fans watching Game 7 at the Garden will be rooting for the Bruins to win a championship, but they will be rooting for David Ortiz to live even more.