The celebration of David Ortiz’s career is going to begin a little earlier than Opening Day.
The Boston Red Sox announced Wednesday they’ll celebrate the designated hitter’s final spring training home game at JetBlue Park on Monday, March 28, before that afternoon’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays. A ceremony for Ortiz will begin at 12:30 p.m. ET for fans at the park.
Ortiz’s No. 34 will be painted on the baselines, and he’ll receive gifts from the Red Sox that commemorate his time in Lee County, Fla.
The 2016 campaign will be Ortiz’s 20th and final season in Major League Baseball, as he announced his plans to retire on his 40th birthday last November. Big Papi spent 14 of those seasons in Boston, gathering nine All-Star nods, six Silver Sluggers, three World Series rings and 503 home runs along the way.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
