David Ortiz hasn’t changed his mind.
Ortiz retired following the 2016 season and despite speculation as to whether he’ll reconsider hanging up the spikes, the Boston Red Sox slugger insists he’s not coming back anytime soon.
“My playing time has already expired,” Ortiz recently told ESPN Deportes.
Ortiz is going out on top, having put together one of the finest final seasons in Major League Baseball history. The 10-time All-Star hit .315 with 38 home runs, 127 RBIs and a 1.021 OPS, ultimately finishing sixth in American League MVP voting.
It’s reasonable to think Ortiz, who turned 41 in November, still could make an impact if he came back for another run as Boston’s designated hitter in 2017. He hasn’t been physically preparing to play baseball this offseason, though, so Red Sox fans shouldn’t hold their breath for a return.
“Baseball is not something that you wake up today and you say, ‘I’ll play tomorrow,’ ” Ortiz said, per ESPN Deportes. “Baseball is something that carries a lot of sacrifice, a lot of preparation, and there is a reason why we train the entire year to play it, practice every day, especially during the season, because it is a sport of consistency.”
Ortiz had a tremendous 20-year career, winning three World Series titles in his 14 seasons with Boston. Even though most Red Sox fans probably would like to see No. 34 penciled into Boston’s starting lineup again in 2017, they at least can be grateful for all of the good times Big Papi provided.
Thumbnail photo via Noah K. Murray/USA TODAY Sports Images
