The Red Sox drafted D'Angelo Ortiz in the 19th round Tuesday
Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz acted as any proud parent would in the situation.
The Hall of Famer was beaming with pride as the Red Sox selected his son, D’Angelo Ortiz, with their second-to-last pick in the 19th round of the MLB draft on Tuesday.
David Ortiz wasn’t with his son for the milestone moment as he was at the MLB All-Star Game in Texas working as a studio analyst for FOX Sports. Kevin Burkhardt, who hosted the pregame show alongside Ortiz, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter, revealed Ortiz received a call from his son during a preshow meeting, which prompted an emotional reaction from the three-time Red Sox World Series champion.
“That was unbelievable,” Ortiz said. “It’s a great feeling. When you see your kids moving forward in their life, (getting) success and all this stuff, a lot of emotion go through you.”
Ortiz also had a special message for his son as he gets set to follow in his father’s footsteps with the same organization Ortiz played in for 14 illustrious seasons.
“Big boy, you know, let’s do it,” Ortiz said. “Let’s keep up the good work. Daddy loves you.”
D’Angelo Ortiz showed potential at the plate during 51 games this past season with Miami Dade College. He batted a team-high .377 while collecting one home run and 35 RBIs. He also drew 29 walks and struck out just 21 times.
The younger Ortiz has a long way to go as he steps into the Red Sox organization, but there’s no doubt his dad will be in his corner cheering him on.