The ten greatest moments of David Ortiz’s Red Sox career
By Daniel Fox
The situation: April 20, 2013, five days after the Boston Marathon bombings
The moment: Ortiz’s uncensored speech in the first home game after the Boston Marathon bombings unified the city
David Ortiz’s place in Boston sports lore was already secure before the 2013 season. His clutch hitting in the 2004 postseason led the Red Sox past the Yankees to their first World Series title in 86 years.
Ortiz would follow up the 2004 season with three straight MVP level seasons, including a record-setting 54 home run campaign in 2006. And even when his career seemed over after a disastrous 2009 season, he rebounded over the next few years and re-established himself as the best DH in the game.
What happened in the 2013 campaign, however, would elevate him to near-immortal status. His first signature moment occurred on April 20, just five days after the Boston Marathon bombings killed three and injured hundreds. Ortiz was on a rehab assignment for his Achilles when the bombings occurred and returned to find a city and a team still reeling from the attacks.
After their April 19 game against the Royals was postponed, the Red Sox took the Fenway Park field on April 20 for their first game since the bombings. Wearing a jersey that said “Boston” rather than the usual “Red Sox,” Ortiz asked to speak to the crowd before the game and delivered a speech that would go down in Boston history.
“This jersey we wear today doesn’t say, Red Sox,” he said. “It says Boston. We want to thank you, Mayor Menino, Governor Patrick, the whole Police Department for the great job they did this past week.”
“This is our f*** city. And nobody is going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong.”
The speech represented a turning point for not just the city’s recovery but the 2013 Red Sox team. “Boston Strong” became a rallying cry for the team and its fans, and they would never look back.