Sox: There will never be another David Ortiz

BOSTON — There were dejected faces and slumped shoulders lining the Red Sox clubhouse as David Ortiz walked off the field as an active player for the final time late on Monday, tossing his cap onto the chair in front of his locker while preparing to cross the threshold into retirement.

Ortiz had just completed his tearful trek to the mound, doffing that cap to all corners of Fenway Park, and his teammates will have to settle for future replays of that moment. They were busy absorbing the reality that the Indians’ 4-3 victory in Game 3 of the American League Division Series simultaneously ended both their pennant dream and a great career.

“I haven’t cried after a baseball game since I was in Little League, probably, but tonight was different,” said starter Clay Buchholz. “I’ve been around here for my whole career, and knowing how much he loves the game and how much he’d be around the game if it was a possibility … I think his decision is made, and that’s tough to swallow.”

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One by one, the Red Sox spoke about how Ortiz affected them as professionals, teaching them how to conduct themselves both on and off the field. His powerful stroke will be missed in the batter’s box, but not as much as his presence in the clubhouse, where he made himself available for teammates on a daily basis.

“He’s a true …

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