David Ortiz better known as Big Papi made a surprise and triumphant appearance at Fenway Park this evening. It’s Ortiz first public appearance since the failed assassination attempt on his life in his native Dominican Republic in June of this year.
The Red Sox were taking on the New York Yankees. With these two teams we are used to seeing benches clear. However, on this night, it was for all the right reasons. The announcer introduced Big Papi as a symbol of “resilience, strength, triumph and love…”. Right on cue, with the Kanye West track “Jesus Walks” blaring in the background, Ortiz ran up the steps from the dugout to the field. He threw out the ceremonial first pitch to former teammate Jason Varitek.
Big Papi gave a few words after the throw. Thanking the city of Boston, his Red Sox teammates and even those on the Yankees that paid him a visit while hospitalized. The latter, shows exactly why David Ortiz is beloved, not just in Boston, but across the baseball universe. Check out the speech here.