Red Sox DH David Ortiz will “sport custom size 12 cleats” designed by New Balance “in the final weeks of his last regular season campaign in the majors,” according to Donna Goodison of the BOSTON HERALD. Ortiz will wear the cleats during the team’s last four series -- against AL East rivals Yankees, Blue Jays, Orioles and Rays -- and fans “will be able to buy limited-edition lifestyle sneakers inspired by the on-field footwear.” Ortiz’ Baltimore cleats have “crab-themed elements and a gray newspaper-printed body with an article” about him. The Baltimore 574 sneaker for fans “will be on sale beginning today.” The inspiration for the gray body and ice blue elements of the Tampa cleats “came from hammerhead sharks and the ocean.” For Yankees games, Ortiz will “wear bright yellow New York City taxi-inspired cleats with a black and white checkered New Balance logo and plated chrome elements to mimic a cab’s bumpers.” Ortiz’ cleats for the first two Blue Jays games “have maple leafs on the heels.” Each sneaker “will be sold for $159.99” on NewBalance.com and at New Balance’s Boston store “with the exception of the Final ‘Walk Off’ 998, which has a $199.99 price tag and only will be available" at the Boston store (BOSTON HERALD, 9/19).
RAYS OF LIGHT: In Tampa, Marc Topkin noted the Rays are planning to “show just a short in-game tribute video” on Sunday before Ortiz’ final game at Tropicana Field. However, Rays President Brian Auld said that the plans “were not set and that he wanted to get player input,” and that the Rays had “talked internally about making a presentation to Ortiz.” Rays 3B Evan Longoria said that the players “wanted to present Ortiz with a gift -- hinting they had something in mind that is ‘sentimental’ -- and were eager to talk with Auld.” Longoria: “The players want to do something for him. We'll figure out the best way to accomplish that so we feel like we've done it the right way” (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 9/17).
