If you thought the David Ortiz comeback chatter would die down once the 2017 season began, well, Hanley Ramirez had other plans.
The Boston Red Sox first baseman/designated hitter reported to spring training in Fort Myers, Fla., on Thursday sporting Ortiz’s No. 34 on his chest. He then held a 20-minute press conference with reporters, a significant portion of which was dedicated to talking about Big Papi.
And while Ortiz has insisted he’s officially retired, he might be getting a few calls and texts after what Ramirez said about his possible return to the diamond.
“I don’t know if I’m supposed to say this,” Ramirez said in the press conference, as aired on NESN, “But he told me the other night that — David, I’m sorry man, but I’ve got to do it — if he tried to come back, I’d be one of the reasons that he might come back. Because we miss each other so much.”
Perhaps realizing the implications of what he just said, Ramirez quickly added a caveat.
“I know that’s not gonna happen,” he said. “But he told me that.”
Apparently Ortiz quickly got word of Ramirez’s comments, because he took to Twitter to throw cold water on all the comeback talk.
The two Dominican Republic natives indeed are very close — Ramirez described Ortiz as his “big brother” and said the retired slugger texts him “every minute” — so it’s understandable why Red Sox fans would get excited over Ramirez making the slightest hint of an Ortiz comeback. Ramirez even joked he’s saving the designated hitter spot for his fellow countryman.
“And then I’ll go back to left field,” he said with a laugh.
Ramirez quickly backtracked from there, though, feeling the need to tell Red Sox fans directly that Big Papi isn’t walking through that door.
“He told me, ‘By this time every year, my body starts hurting. Not this year,'” Ramirez said of Ortiz. “His mind is so out of baseball right now that his body feels like he come back. I don’t think it’s going to happen. So, you’ve got to deal with that.
“David’s not coming back! He’s home with his family, all right? You got that, Sox Nation? We’re going to have to do it!”
Thumbnail photo via Kelvin Kuo/USA TODAY Sports Images
