The retirement honors continue to pour in. First, it was Yankee Candle, and soon enough, it will be the New York Yankees.
The Yankees announced Thursday — ahead of a four-game series at Fenway Park — that they’ll honor Ortiz before a Sept. 29 game at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
Ortiz, who tormented the Yankees and their fans at times over the years, was one of the most feared hitters in the rivalry between the two historic franchises. He’s also a huge reason the Red Sox finally turned the tables on the Yankees, and he played a major role in the fact that the Red Sox have won three World Series titles to the Yankees’ one since joining Boston in 2003.
In a way, however, the Yankees are repaying the favor. The Red Sox honored both Mariano Rivera (2014) and Derek Jeter (last season) prior to their final games at Fenway Park. So it’s not really a huge surprise the Yankees will do the same for Ortiz in two weeks.
Entering Thursday’s game against New York, Ortiz is a .305 career hitter with 52 home runs and 166 RBIs in 236 games against the Yankees, with most of those games coming in a Red Sox uniform. He was especially good in the playoffs, hitting five home runs in 14 career postseason games against the Yankees. Ortiz hit a walk-off home run and single in Boston’s historic 2004 comeback that paved the way for the club’s first World Series title since 1918.
Oh, and just because …
Thumbnail photo via Adam Hunger/USA TODAY Sports Images
