photo courtesy of USA TODAY Sports
Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins veteran David “Big Papi” Ortiz delivered a rousing speech to the crowd on July 24 at the Baseball Hall of Fame inductions in Cooperstown, New York. As one of seven inducted into the Hall of Fame, Ortiz was greeted onto the stage with a chant of his nickname, “Papi,” from the praising crowd. According to NBC Sports, Ortiz is the first designated hitter to be inducted into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot and only the fourth Dominican-born player.
Big Papi spoke to his fans in a speech that included both Spanish and English, “I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to be here today and for giving me the joy of being able to travel this path, this path that has allowed me to be here today and hopefully inspire everyone to believe in yourself.”
Ortiz gave a heartfelt statement that related to his survival from
a gunshot wound in his back three years ago in his home country.“I always tried to live my life in a way … so I can make a positive influence in the world,” said the 46-year-old slugger, continuing to give the fans a message that he wanted them to take with them before he left the stage. “And if my story can remind you of anything, let it remind you that when you believe in someone, you can change the world, you can change their future, just like so many people believed in me.” He finished, “It’s an honor to be on this stage. I can ask for no more.”
Ortiz was inducted into the Hall of Fame with six other players, including the infamous Buck O’Neil. Besides the Dominican hitter, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva, and Bud Fowler were inducted – with Minnie and Bud having done so posthumously.