David Ortiz’s annual Celebrity Golf Classic is at all times a Red Sox household affair.
The three-day social and golf outing occurring this weekend on Marco Island, Fla., is attended by some mixture of Ortiz’s former teammates. Johnny Damon, Clay Buchholz, Brock Holt and John Lackey are anticipated to attend this 12 months. Manny Ramirez famously swung and missed on the occasion in 2014. Pedro Martinez has attended quite a few instances.
Sadly, the previous teammate who at all times confirmed up for Ortiz’s occasion can be noticeably absent for the fifteenth annual occasion.
It’s been two months since Tim Wakefield handed away all of the sudden on Oct. 1, the ultimate day of the Red Sox season. His teammates, colleagues, followers and family members had been surprised. His battle with most cancers had been transient, and solely been made public days prior, in opposition to his needs.
“That was very devastating to me. Having someone like my man passing away, there’s no way to describe it,” Ortiz instructed the Herald on Friday. “He was like a big brother to me, you know? He was a person that cared about me, helped me out with so many things, in so many different ways. I mean, who didn’t love that guy? Who wasn’t friends with that guy?”
The Red Sox signed Wakefield in April 1995, so he was already a veteran within the clubhouse by the point Ortiz arrived at spring coaching in ‘03. On the surface, the knuckleball pitcher from Florida and the slugger from the Dominican Republic couldn’t have been extra completely different, however that they had two key issues in frequent: they’d every been launched by their first franchise and given a second likelihood in Boston, and so they each actually cared about making a distinction.
“He was always a leader,” Ortiz stated. “I remember when I first got to the Red Sox, he basically was the guy who runs the clubhouse, and all I wanted to do was just follow his steps.”
He ended up doing that. Wakefield was a loyal philanthropist. Eight instances the Red Sox nominated him for the celebrated Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the Major Leaguer who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement, and the individual’s contribution to his team.” He obtained the award in 2010. The following 12 months, it went to Ortiz.
Wakefield’s charitable endeavors influenced his teammates, and he championed their causes in addition to his personal.
“I don’t remember him missing this event,” Ortiz stated. “He was one of many main supporters of this occasion all through the years, him and his spouse, Stacy.
“That family cares about so many things. If you look around, everything that they have done is on another type of level. They care about people. They don’t care where you come from. They were always open and wanting to help, and that goes a long way.”
It helped that Wakefield liked to golf. Out of all the previous Red Sox, he and Jim Rice had been the 2 finest golfers within the bunch, Ortiz stated.
“I used to see some conversations between the two … they’d go back and forth talking trash to each other. It’s a family thing,” he stated with a smile.
The worst golfer within the franchise? “Well, besides me,” the Hall of Famer stated with a chuckle, “I don’t want to pick anyone without knowing his handicap.”
This weekend, Ortiz hopes the occasions of “Weekend with Papi” and silent public sale will increase $1.4 million for his David Ortiz Children’s Fund, which gives life-saving pediatric cardiac surgical procedures and care in his native Dominican Republic and chosen house, New England. The objective quantity would cowl look after 280 kids.
They deliberate a dedication for Wakefield on Friday night. His help over time saved 50 kids’s lives, Ortiz revealed.
“Tim cared about everybody. He cared about everybody,” Ortiz stated.
Out on Ohtani?
The chance of the Red Sox touchdown two-way celebrity Shohei Ohtani at all times felt like a attain, however now the prospect is wanting much more unlikely.
According to a report by ESPN insider Jeff Passan, the Red Sox have backed off their pursuit of Ohtani and shifted their focus to different gamers.
“The Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets, who were among the initial group of suitors, have turned their attention to other players, sources said,” Passan wrote. “Among those confirmed by sources to be still in the bidding: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays and Angels.”
Passan later wrote the Red Sox are nonetheless within the combine for right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the 25-year-old Japanese ace who is anticipated to land a deal price properly over $200 million.
Ohtani, who received his second American League MVP award this season, is anticipated to land the biggest free agent contract in North American sports activities historical past. Even after present process elbow surgical procedure that can preserve him off the mound in 2024, Ohtani remains to be anticipated to command a deal price $500-600 million, blowing away the present file set by Mike Trout ($426.5 million).
This previous season the 29-year-old turned in one of many biggest seasons MLB has ever seen, batting .304 with 44 house runs, 95 RBI, 20 stolen bases and an MLB-best 1.066 OPS whereas additionally going 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts over 132 innings.
A participant like Ohtani would clearly make a huge effect on any group, however given Boston’s present scenario it wouldn’t be an entire shock the Red Sox shifted their focus elsewhere.
Right now the Red Sox want pitching, and Ohtani received’t be capable to take the mound once more till 2025 on the earliest. He additionally bats left-handed, which received’t assist Boston in its objective so as to add right-handed hitters, and his being a full-time DH would restrict Boston’s lineup flexibility and make it tougher to enhance defensively.
Ohtani can be a right away difference-maker within the coronary heart of the lineup and would supercharge curiosity surrounding the group, however nonetheless, if the Red Sox can land two front-of-the-rotation starters for the worth it may take to signal him, it’d be onerous in charge the membership in the event that they determined that was a greater use of their cash.
Source: www.bostonherald.com