Retiring Red Sox DH
David Ortiz was honored on the field at Fenway Park prior to his final regular-season game, a 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays. The ceremony was "light on speeches and heavy on emotion" (
BOSTON GLOBE, 10/3). It included the announcement that Ortiz' No. 34 "will be retired next season." Baseball HOFers
Carl Yastrzemski and
Jim Rice "were on the field" with Red Sox Owner
John Henry and Chair
Tom Werner "when Ortiz received that news" (
BOSTON GLOBE, 10/3). The team also paid tribute to Ortiz with a full-page ad that ran in Sunday's Boston Globe (
THE DAILY).
The Red Sox and the city of Boston have agreed to name a bridge after Ortiz. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said, "Every bridge in Boston practically's been named after somebody, and we were shocked, stunned, amazed, and thoroughly psyched when we found out that bridge over Brookline Avenue that so many Red Sox fans have walked over for so many years had not actually been named" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/3).
The “Weekend Update” news segment on NBC’s “SNL” featured an appearance by Ortiz – as portrayed by cast member Kenan Thompson – talking about his many corporate endorsements, including a new soft drink, "Hepsi" (“SNL,” NBC, 10/1).
