Why David Ortiz Thinks Former Teammates Continue To Show Him Support

It will be a Boston Red Sox reunion of sorts in upstate New York on Sunday when David Ortiz gets inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

There will be a litany of former teammates of Ortiz in attendance for the ceremonies after the left-handed hitting slugger not only left an indelible mark on the Red Sox, but also those he played with.

While Ortiz put together an illustrious career that landed him in the Hall of Fame, he is also seen as a Hall of Fame teammate. The support certainly means a lot to Ortiz, and he explained why he believes so many past teammates traveled to Cooperstown to watch him be enshrined among the game’s legends.

“Going back to my Minnesota days all the way to Boston, all I can say, man, is I always tried to have my teammates’ backs and they treat me back with the same thing. That’s why you’re going to see so many of them out there tomorrow,” Ortiz said during a media availability session on Saturday. “This is a fraternity. … You need to be a good teammate. You got to be able to let them know that you’re always going to be there for them. It’s your second family.”

Ortiz played 14 seasons with the Red Sox and many of his teammates from his tenure in Boston have made the trip for the Hall of Fame ceremonies.

Pedro Martinez, who had some words of advice for Ortiz, Mike Lowell, Kevin Youkilis, Johnny Damon, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Millar and Jason Varitek are among many players who suited up alongside Ortiz. All are expected to be in attendance, according to MLB.com’s Ian Browne.

Those teammates will get to see another memorable moment for Ortiz, as the Hall of Fame induction begins at 1:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.