The Boston Red Sox retired the number 34 jersey last week to honor former designated hitter David Ortiz during a game against the Los Angeles Angels.
On June 22, Boston renamed Yawkey Way Extension near Fenway Park to David Ortiz Drive to commemorate Ortiz’s lasting influence on the team. The city has also named a bridge after him and Logan airport’s gate 34C is dubbed “David Ortiz’s Gate.”
Ortiz, nicknamed “Big Papi,” spent 14 of his 20 year MLB career playing for the Red Sox. He played a total of 1,953 games for the Sox before he retired from baseball in November 2016.
Ortiz’s home-run on Sept. 15, 2015 against Tampa Bay made him the most recent member of the 500 home-run club. He is only one of 27 players to achieve this honor.
Ortiz is a nine-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion. Prior to Ortiz’s contract with the Red Sox, the team hadn’t won a World Series game in 86 years.
Less than a year after his last game, his number 34 will be retired. “That short amount of time is a symbol, of how everyone … feels about the player who was the most important player in the history of the Red Sox,” said Sam Kennedy, the team president, at the David Ortiz Drive unveiling ceremony on June 22.
