Red Sox designated hitter J.D. Martinez wants to be like Tom Brady

J.D. Martinez arrived at Red Sox spring training with a Tom Brady shirt

Who wouldn’t want to be like Tom Brady? He’s a seven-time Super Bowl champion, a future first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback and undoubtedly the greatest in history at his position. When J.D. Martinez tweeted a photo of his arrival to Red Sox camp in Fort Myers, the caption stated a goal that any athlete should strive for – be like Brady.

While the caption paid homage to the GOAT, the photo was clearly meant as a playful jab at the former New England Patriots quarterback. A smiling Martinez strolled into camp this weekend sporting a tee-shirt featuring an image of Brady following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers championship parade.

Videos from the infamous Bucs celebration have gone viral over the last couple of weeks. Many were shocked by the sight of Brady tossing the Lombardi Trophy across open water to teammates on another boat. Hey, it’s Tom Brady – of course he was going to complete the pass! Brady later needed some help keeping his balance as he was escorted off the boat after the parade. Maybe he was struggling to find his sea legs?

Naturally, Brady couldn’t resist having some fun with the publicity, retweeting a video posted by ESPN with a captain saying “Noting to see her…just litTle avoCado tequila.” Leave it to Brady to slip in a hint of marketing for his TB12 diet while trolling himself with some self-deprecating humor.

The Red Sox social media team took elements from both star athletes, tweeting the images of Martinez wearing his Brady shirt while emulating the quarterback’s tweet. “Noting to see her…just litTle sPrInG tRaInInG.”

Brady noticed the attention he was getting from Red Sox camp and tweeted a response: “Lol…I will never live this down.”

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While Martinez is clearly teasing Brady with his new tee-shirt, it’s all in good fun. The Red Sox slugger has long been a fan of Brady and holds a tremendous amount of respect for him. He had an opportunity to meet the former Patriots QB when the Red Sox visited Gillette Stadium in October 2018 while celebrating their World Series title.

Brady was typically reserved during his two decades in New England. He celebrated six Super Bowl titles with the Patriots but never got quite this wild in public when the notoriously strict Bill Belichick was his coach. The move to Tampa Bay appears to have loosened Brady up.

The Red Sox could benefit from having someone to lighten the mood in camp this spring. On the heels of a miserable 2020 season, this team wants nothing more than to move forward and start having fun playing baseball again. Few were frustrated more than the struggling Martinez last year so it’s great seeing him in good spirits as he arrives in camp.

If Martinez is serious about his goal to be more like Brady, perhaps it motivates him to have a bounce-back year. A championship run might seem like a long shot for the Red Sox this year but Martinez returning to form would be a significant step toward making that dream a reality. If this season does end with a duck boat parade, expect Brady to keep an eye on Martinez for any embarrassing moments he can use for a little payback on social media.