Red Sox honor Big Papi with pregame ceremony at Fenway originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Red Sox pulled out all the stops to honor David Ortiz at Fenway Park on Tuesday night.
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The team held a pregame ceremony for Ortiz following the legendary slugger's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. A number of Ortiz's former Red Sox teammates were in attendance, including Pedro Martinez, Trot Nixon, Tim Wakefield, Jason Varitek and Ellis Burks.
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Also in Boston to celebrate Big Papi were Red Sox greats Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice, fellow Hall of Famer and Dominican Republic native Vladimir Guerrero, former Sox manager John Farrell and ex-general manager Theo Epstein. Terry Francona, Red Sox skipper from 2004-11, coincidentally was there as the current manager of the Cleveland Guardians.
Ortiz gave a brief speech during which he shouted out the Fenway Faithful.
“The good-luck charm has arrived,” Ortiz said to begin the speech. “I want to thank all the fans, all the Red Sox fans worldwide, because without you guys, trust me, this would never (have) happened.”
Wakefield, Nixon, Varitek, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Alex Cora presented the ball to Ortiz for the ceremonial first pitch. The Red Sox also decorated the outfield with Ortiz’s three World Series flags from 2004, 2007 and 2013.
After the ceremony, Ortiz topped off the celebration with a ride in the Red Sox' home run cart.
Ortiz was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot.
