Ortiz 'more nervous' for daughter's anthem than any at-bat
David Ortiz, the legendary Boston Red Sox designated hitter with more than 500 career home runs and three World Series titles, admitted to being nervous for Monday's home opener.
It wasn't because he was facing Yovani Gallardo (whom he's slugging 1.000 against during his career), nor was it because Baltimore's stingy closer is left-handed (Ortiz owns an .889 OPS versus Zach Britton). No, Ortiz's jitters were reserved exclusively for his teenage daughter, Alex, who brought her Big Papi to tears when she sang the national anthem as part of a special pregame tribute for the Red Sox great.
(Video courtesy: MLB.com)
Ortiz's pregame ceremony included a who's who guest list of Boston-area legends, from Bobby Orr to Bill Russell, and even former teammate Pedro Martinez. None of it, said Ortiz, compared to watching his daughter sing the anthem. When asked how it ranked against some of his most memorable moments at Fenway, such as his Game 4 walk-off in 2004 or his game-tying grand slam in the 2013 ALCS, Ortiz didn't even hesitate.
"I was more nervous during (the anthem) than any at-bat that I've ever had in my career," Ortiz told reporters, according to Tim Britton of the Providence Journal. "It wasn't even about me. It was about her. Whoever has kids knows how that goes, when you're watching your kid perform in anything. That was like my first big moment watching one of my children doing something pretty big. Now I understand my dad and mom and my family when they used to watch me, they all used to be very nervous. Now I get it. It was unbelievable. Hopefully it stays in everybody's memory."