When David Ortiz speaks, everyone tends to listen.
This never was more evident than in 2013, when the Red Sox slugger delivered two speeches that will go down in Boston lore.
The first took place April 20, five days after the Boston Marathon bombing and one day after a lengthy manhunt ended with one perpetrator dead and the other captured. The city still was reeling, searching for answers in the wake of such a horrific tragedy.
Ortiz, who was returning from an injury that day, grabbed a microphone upon walking out to the middle of the infield at Fenway Park. He boldly declared, “This is our (F-ing) city” amid a passionate speech that hit home for millions.
“We are entertainers. We are superheroes for some kids. We are on TV. We are famous, whatever,” Ortiz recently told NESN’s Tom Caron during an exclusive interview, part of which can be seen in NESN’s special presentation “David Ortiz: The Journey,” presented by Foxwoods Resort Casino. “But we are also human and citizens just like everybody else. And when it comes to what happened at the marathon, they did it to all of us.”
The only surprising aspect of Ortiz’s speech was his use of the F-word, as he otherwise encapsulated what most people were thinking at the time. You didn’t have to be a Bostonian to realize the magnitude of the situation. And you didn’t have to be a Red Sox fan to appreciate Ortiz going to bat for the city at a time when the community needed to rally together.
“There’s not one person here in New England — or probably the whole history of the United States of America — that was like, ‘Oh, that had nothing to do with me,’ ” Ortiz said, looking back on the Boston Marathon attack. “Yes, it had a lot to do with you because we are united. This country has been so good when situations like that happen because everybody got together. Everybody gets together, everybody supports each other.”
The Red Sox, of course, rode a “Boston Strong” mantra all the way to the World Series, where they faced the St. Louis Cardinals. Boston eventually emerged victorious in six games, but it wasn’t before Ortiz again took center stage and delivered an impassioned speech to his teammates in the dugout during Game 4 in St. Louis on Oct. 27.
“A lot of us were a little worn out, a little tired. There’s no room for that. You’re in the playoffs,” Ortiz said, reflecting on his now-famous dugout speech. “And I know — this is what I told everybody: ‘I also know how good we can be. I’ve been with you guys all year round and I know how good you guys can be. So let’s go.’ ”
The Red Sox, who were down 2-1 in the series at the time, responded by winning Game 4 and taking the next two to secure their third World Series title in 10 years.
There are plenty of magical moments that took place during that 2013 season, but Ortiz’s well-timed speeches transcended sports and exemplify exactly what he’s meant to both the Red Sox and the city of Boston.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
