The final chapter has yet to be written, but oh, what a story it has been so far.
David Ortiz’s career has been the stuff of legends, so as the Boston Red Sox slugger prepares to ride off into the sunset after this season, NESN decided to commemorate his greatness with two special presentations, the second of which will premiere Thursday night.
The second film, “The David Ortiz Era,” presented by Foxwoods Resort Casino, is a narrative, documentary-style feature film that tells the story of how Big Papi went from signing with Boston as an unheralded free agent to winning three World Series titles with the Red Sox. It has been an incredible era for the Red Sox, and the film looks at how an entire fan base’s mindset has changed since Ortiz arrived on the scene in 2003.
The film features interviews with Ortiz and several of his teammates (past and present), including Pedro Martinez, Jason Varitek, Tim Wakefield, Kevin Millar and Dustin Pedroia, all of whom have a unique perspective on what it has been like to be associated with the Red Sox during such an amazing time in the franchise’s history.
NESN will premiere “The David Ortiz Era,” presented by Foxwoods Resort Casino, on Thursday at 10 p.m. ET or immediately following coverage of the night’s Red Sox-Yankees series finale.
We’re not going to spoil anything, but here’s a taste of what you’ll learn by watching “The David Ortiz Era” on Thursday night:
— How Pedro helped bring Ortiz to Boston
— How Ortiz found his stride with the Red Sox after asking to be traded early in the 2003 season
— Where did Ortiz’s famous “Big Papi” nickname come from?
— What was going through the Red Sox’s minds when they lost to the Yankees in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS and when they fell behind 3-0 in the 2004 ALCS?
— When did it really hit Ortiz that the Red Sox had broken the “Curse of the Bambino?”
— What was it like to win another World Series in 2007?
— How did Ortiz revive his career in the second half of 2009 after suffering an injury in 2008?
— How the Red Sox united an entire city in 2013 after the Boston Marathon attacks
— What was going through Ortiz’s head during some of his most clutch moments?
Thumbnail photo via Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports Images
