With all due respect to Giancarlo Stanton, David Ortiz might have been the most popular guy at Petco Park on Monday night.
The retiring Boston Red Sox slugger is expected to play in his ninth — and, barring a change of heart, final — Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Tuesday in San Diego, and although he chose not to participate in Monday’s Home Run Derby, he was the center of attention regardless, with All-Star after All-Star approaching him on the field to shake his hand or pose for a photo.
“I feel like a granddaddy,” the 40-year-old joked, via CSNNE.com.
Though Ortiz opted out of the Derby — which Stanton won in a record-setting performance — he has been one of the most feared power hitters in baseball this season, entering the All-Star break as the major league leader in doubles, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS.
Photos via Jake Roth/USA TODAY Sports Images
