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Apple of his eye: Papi delighted by NY sendoff
- Updated: September 30, 2016
NEW YORK — New Yorkers said goodbye to David Ortiz on Thursday night, and they did it in style. Before and during Big Papi’s last night ever playing in the Bronx, Yankee fans came through big time.
From greetings on the streets of Manhattan to a nice ovation as he came off the field at Yankee Stadium for a pinch-runner after walking in the fourth inning of Boston’s 5-1 loss, Papi said he enjoyed every moment of it.
Like Yankees icons Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, who retired before him, Ortiz not only personified the rivalry between the two clubs, but transcended it.
“Impressive, there was no booing out there,” he said afterward with a big laugh. “There’s a first time for everything, man. It looks like everybody was happy that I’m leaving.”
In all seriousness, as Ortiz’s final season has been winding down, there had been much speculation about how Bomber partisans would react to Ortiz on the occasion of his final road game, the final game of his career at Yankee Stadium.
Like the response two years ago at Fenway Park when Jeter played his final game, fans gave Big Papi a big ovation at the conclusion of Thursday night’s pregame ceremony, and that started it all rolling.
“It seemed like he was really touched,” said David Cone, the former Yankees pitcher and current baseball analyst, who was part of the ceremony along with the great Rivera, ex-Boston teammate Jacoby Ellsbury and Papi’s family.
As parting gifts the Yankees gave Ortiz a portrait of him tipping his cap to the stadium crowd while standing at home plate painted by renowned sports artist Justyn Farano, plus a leather-bound book of messages from former and current Yankees players and personnel.
As Cone suggested, Ortiz was moved by the gestures.
“It was a great ceremony,” he said. “I’d like to thank the Yankees for taking the time to recognize my career. It was very professional and a very nice ceremony. The book blew my mind. I saw some hand-written notes from some of my ex-teammates and guys I competed against for a long …
