Getty Image / Michael Reaves
- 3-time World Series champion David Ortiz was just inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility
- Ortiz retired following the 2016 season and this story of how he killed time during games as designated hitter is truly something special
- Read more breaking sports news articles and stories here on BroBible
David Ortiz just joined an elite group of MLB players to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY on their first ballot. Only 58 players in the history of the game have been elected to the Hall of Fame on their first ballot and that number is a true testament to Big Papi’s legacy.
Big Papi retired from the game after the 2016 season. He went out with some incredible numbers and hit 38 home runs (the most ever in a player’s final season), 127 RBIs, and he batted .315 which was considerably higher than his career batting average of .286 and he that as a designated hitter with a lot of time to kill between plate appearances.
David Ortiz leads all MLB designated hitters in home runs (485), RBIs (1,569), and hits (2,192). And until this story below, I’ve never stopped to consider how David Ortiz killed time between at-bats when he was DH’ing and not playing first base. This story below comes from Brian Bannister who was part of the Red Sox coaching staff in 2016. There are 10+ tweets here just keep reading, scrolling, and enjoy!
Story Of How David Ortiz Killed Time During Games Is Epic
Congrats @davidortiz on your election to Cooperstown!
Here's my favorite Big Papi story:
— Brian Bannister (@RealBanny) January 29, 2022
1/ David played his final MLB season in 2016 at age 40.
Even after 20 years in the big leagues he still worked relentlessly at both his hitting and physical conditioning.
— Brian Bannister (@RealBanny) January 29, 2022
2/ His schedule that year was extremely busy.
Farewell gifts. Speeches. Interviews. Nonstop media.
— Brian Bannister (@RealBanny) January 29, 2022
3/ Often the quietest time of his day was during the games.
Being an American League DH is a lonely existance.
30-45 minutes between at-bats is typical. No time in the field.
— Brian Bannister (@RealBanny) January 29, 2022
4/ Some players really struggle with controlling their thoughts and anxiety during this downtime.
Not David.
During his final season, he used that rare downtime to call back friends.
— Brian Bannister (@RealBanny) January 29, 2022
5/ For context, I was added to the Red Sox Major League coaching staff for the first time at the All-Star Break in 2016.
— Brian Bannister (@RealBanny) January 29, 2022
6/ During games that year, I would sit on a couch in the clubhouse and monitor video + pitch data on my laptop for any signs of trouble with the pitchers.
David would often sit on a couch nearby.
— Brian Bannister (@RealBanny) January 29, 2022
7/ I had always loved his infectious laugh and admired his incredible personal style.
His ESPN commercial is one of my personal favorites.
— Brian Bannister (@RealBanny) January 29, 2022
The idea of just kicking it on the couch with David Ortiz during a meaningful game is hilarious to me for some reason. I’d always thought of him being in the dugout for the entire game except when he was batting and I’ve never paid enough attention to David Ortiz’s whereabouts to track it until now.
8/ This one day in particular, he was sitting on the couch opposite me talking on the phone as usual.
Mid-conversation he remarked "Hold on a sec. I have to go hit."
— Brian Bannister (@RealBanny) January 29, 2022
9/ However, this time he did something unusual.
He didn't hang up the phone.
He just put it down on the couch.
— Brian Bannister (@RealBanny) January 29, 2022
“I watched him walk down the stairs to the dugout….”
10/ I watched him walk down the stairs to the dugout and then appear on TV in the on-deck circle just moments later.
Within a few minutes he was in the batter's box.
Spits on his gloves.
Claps his hands.
— Brian Bannister (@RealBanny) January 29, 2022
11/ Meanwhile, I'm still sitting on the couch on my laptop.
His phone is still on the couch across from me.
The call is still active.
— Brian Bannister (@RealBanny) January 29, 2022
12/ I look up at the TV.
He goes deep! Unbelievable!
He starts trotting around the bases.
He crosses home. Points up at the sky.
High-fiving teammates.
— Brian Bannister (@RealBanny) January 29, 2022
13/ Moments later, he walks up the stairs into the clubhouse and sits down on the couch opposite me.
He picks up his phone again and says "Hey I'm back – where were we?"
The phone call had never ended.
Absolute legend.
— Brian Bannister (@RealBanny) January 29, 2022
— Brian Bannister (@RealBanny) January 29, 2022
I grew up a Boston Red Sox fan and remained a fan until the mid 00’s when my hometown team actually became relevant and I branched away from my childhood rooting interests. Since then I’ve been a Rays fan. But that era Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz at the plate with Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling on the mound in the playoffs was as good as there’s ever been in baseball.
Thankfully for baseball fans everywhere, we still have David Ortiz in our lives as he’s an ever-present figure in the game.
If for any reason, those David Ortiz story tweets aren’t loading above for you then you can click here to visit Twitter and scroll through that thread over on the app.