Most athletes have inharmonious exits from their respective sport, being forced to leave the game rather than walk away on their own teams.
David Ortiz was not one of those athletes.
The former slugger was spectacular in his final season with the Red Sox, batting .315 with 38 home runs, 127 RBIs while helping Boston claim an American League East title.
While Ortiz announced before the 2016 campaign that the season would be his last, many believed Big Papi would reevaluate his decision after turning in an All-Star year. But the fact of the matter is, the three-time World Series champion never once thought about lacing them back up after riding off into the sunset.
“No, not at all,” Ortiz said on Barstool Sports’ “Section 10 Podcast. “It’s not as easy at it looks, you know what I’m saying? Doesn’t matter if you were one of the greatest or one of the best players in the game, it doesn’t work that way. There’s a routine, a preparation that takes a year. Since I retired, I forgot where my baseball bat was, you know what I’m saying? So I never, not for a day thought about it. I played, I had a long career and I didn’t regret a day while I was playing on the field. The discipline and the life experience we get playing in the major leagues, it’s something that helps you out in your routine on a daily basis. I had a long career, I had fun, I won championships, I made a lot of friends. So once I hung it up, I was happy with what I did.”
Aside from very clearly being comfortable with his decision, Ortiz’s comments highlight his utmost respect for the game. The 10-time All-Star understands the rigors of preparing and playing through a lengthy season, and while he probably could have made a comeback from a pure talent standpoint, he evidently isn’t keen on the idea of jumping back in without putting in the appropriate work.
But it wouldn’t be shocking if Ortiz got some level of the itch come October, as the Red Sox legend always elevated his game on baseball’s biggest stage.
