"Keep the faith, Maverick. Tonight I'm gonna hit a homer just for you."
David Ortiz assured 6-year-old Maverick, a boy who has undergone more than 30 heart surgeries in his lifetime, that he would hit a home run dedicated to him. On April 29, 2016, just hours after he had filmed that promise and sent it to Maverick, Big Papi delivered, sending a monster shot to left field to help the Red Sox beat their rival Yankees. Maverick responded with a thank you video that I have provided a link to below.
https://twitter.com/KMillar15/status/7262477057024...
In it, Maverick expresses his gratitude to David and his hope to meet David in person, which he later did! The words of Maverick in that video not only reflect the feelings of a little boy in Wyoming, however. They reflect the feelings of a whole city, an entire fanbase that for years had known nothing but disappointment. In the words of Maverick Schutte, "Big Papi, you never let me down."
David Ortiz was released the Minnesota Twins in 2002. In January 2003, due to pleading from Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez, Theo Epstein signed David Ortiz to the Boston Red Sox. The rest is history. In 2004, David Ortiz had not one but two walk-off hits in the historic 2004 ALCS when the Red Sox came back from a 3-0 deficit to win the series 4-3. He led the Sox to a World Series Championship again in 2007 and in 2013, cementing himself as a playoff legend. He has made clutch hit after clutch hit, and has somehow remained a dominant force despite his age. He has surpassed 100 RBI in the past three seasons and is batting .320 to start his final season, choosing to avoid the stereotype of an aging retiring star whose last season is weak and irrelevant (cough, Jeter, cough). In fact, the Red Sox look great so far in 2016 and Ortiz may be ending his career with a fourth ring.
Ortiz' statlines and descriptions only scratch the surface of what he means to Boston fans everywhere. There's an intangible force at work when it comes to Big Papi's presence and authority over the hearts and minds of his fans, me included. Ortiz has been my favorite player since I started watching baseball. Even though I was a second baseman and Ortiz only plays DH, I was always intrigued by Ortiz's ability to come through in the most important game situations. I remember one specific moment in 2013 that blew my mind and cemented my love for Ortiz. The Red Sox had lost game one of the ALCS and were losing game two 5-1 in the bottom of the eighth. Then, Big Papi came up with the bases loaded.
I get goose bumps watching it even now. My dad and I hugged each other and jumped around the room for around a full minute after this one. It's moments like these that make Ortiz so lovable.
There are some who do not find Big Papi lovable. His tendency towards rage when he disagrees with an umpire and rumors about steroid use have not endeared him towards many fans of other teams. I am the first to acknowledge that Ortiz is a far-from-perfect person. But the real David Ortiz is, I believe, a positive role model. He provides hope, not only to fans but to his teammates. His smile, his jokes, and his inability to quit make him a vital contribution to the team. Also, he loves the fans and the city he plays in and it shows. He is a joy to watch on the field and off.
On May 14, David hit a game-tying triple in the ninth inning and then a walk-off double in the eleventh. After the game, as the announcers were discussing how he was one of the best clutch hitters of all time, I found tears emerging from my eyes. Am I ridiculous to be crying over a baseball player and his success? I don't think so. Because for as long as I can remember when I've watched the Red Sox play baseball, it's been with Ortiz leading the team. And next year, that will no longer be the case. I will miss David and I hope the Sox get another trophy this year, not just for my sake as a fan, but for his.
Big Papi, you never let me down.
