David Ortiz calls it like he sees it. That’s part of his appeal.
So, when the former Boston Red Sox slugger was asked about New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, he put the teams’ fierce rivalry aside and said how he really felt: The kid is one of his favorite players.
“He’s like this huge teddy bear, and he’s just trying to get better at things,” Ortiz told Sports Illustrated’s Ben Reiter in a recent interview. “I love that type of human being. This planet, this world, needs more people with a good heart. Right now, you see a lot of people walking around angry. There’s a lot of athletes out there making a s—load of money, you look at them and they’re straight up a——- . What is the reason for that?
“You live through the fans. Your family, yourself, your wife, kids, you guys are who you guys are because the fans pay for it. If the fan don’t give a s— about what we do, you don’t have a career, period. Why you gotta be an a——? I hate when we see athletes handling themselves that way. Like their s— don’t stink. I don’t like that. So, Aaron Judge is one of those guys who is doing everything the right way. And I love that.”
We can see how Big Papi, whose affable personality made him a universal fan favorite in Boston, can relate to Judge in this way. But Ortiz also loves how the 25-year-old swings the bat — in fact, Papi believes Judge might have more power than he did.
“Power?” Ortiz said. “Aw, s—. Don’t get me wrong, I got pop when I played. But this guy’s power is just not human, to be honest with you.”
If Red Sox fans are a little irked by Ortiz chumming it up with Alex Rodriguez and praising Judge, fear not: He still wants nothing to do with the Evil Empire.
Thumbnail photo via Anthony Grupposo (left) and Adam Hunger (right)/USA TODAY Sports Images
