#ThanksPapi pic.twitter.com/LfWyQKfQOk
— Red Sox (@RedSox) October 11, 2016
David Ortiz‘s career is over. The final game of Big Papi’s career was played on Monday night when the Cleveland Indians bounced the Boston Red Sox from the playoffs with a 4-3 win. This mean that Cleveland won the series, 3-0, and Ortiz – who said that his career would come to an end at the conclusion of the 2016 season – is officially counting down the days until he gets inducted into Cooperstown.
After the game ended, all that the fans in Boston wanted was for Ortiz to come out for a curtain call. They chanted over and over in an attempt to get Ortiz on the field once more, but right as the Indians recorded the game’s final out, he dove into the locker room.
Once the Indians left for the locker room, though, Ortiz came out one last time. He went to the pitcher’s mound, took off his cap, and saluted the Fenway faithful, which paid the Boston legend the respect he deserved after 14 years with the team.
Big Papi says big goodbye pic.twitter.com/LepWIkaXKB
— jesse spector (@jessespector) October 11, 2016
There may not be a better Red Sox player over the last two decades (maybe even more than that) than David Ortiz. Between his amazing on-field production and the fact that he legitimately loved the city and the franchise, he will forever be a legend in Beantown. Sure, the end was abrupt and unceremonious, but that will never take away from all the great moments that Ortiz made in a Red Sox uniform.