David Ortiz isn’t going to celebrate his final game at Tropicana Field.
The Major League Baseball world lost a star Sunday in Miami Marlins ace Jose Fernandez, who died in a boating accident at the age of 24, but Ortiz lost a friend. Because of that, the retiring Boston Red Sox designated hitter asked the Tampa Bay Rays not to honor him before Sunday’s game.
Given today's tragedy, we are canceling our pregame ceremony recognizing @RedSox David Ortiz, per his wishes.
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 25, 2016
The Providence Journal’s Brian MacPherson offered a little more on what Ortiz and the Rays will do instead.
The gifts that the Rays were going to give Ortiz today, they'll give privately, in light of the Fernandez tragedy. He preferred that.
— Brian MacPherson (@brianmacp) September 25, 2016
The Rays will show an Ortiz tribute video during the game, but, otherwise, Ortiz preferred not to be celebrated today.
— Brian MacPherson (@brianmacp) September 25, 2016
Fernandez also went to high school in Tampa, so it’s likely Ortiz isn’t the only one in the community who doesn’t feel like celebrating anything this weekend.
Thumbnail photo via Nick Turchiaro/USA TODAY Sports Images
