Mariano Rivera joins the @Yankees in honoring the career of David Ortiz prior to his final game in New York. pic.twitter.com/77lbpTb69O
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 29, 2016
In David Ortiz’s final game at Yankee Stadium, the New York Yankees sent him off in a simple, yet classy fashion.
How do you possibly celebrate someone who has destroyed your team while playing for your arch rival?
Well, whatever the New York Yankees came up with, it was a tremendous way to honor David Ortiz. Nothing pretentious, nothing overwhelming, just an ingenious farewell to an enormous baseball figure.
First, former teammate Jacoby Ellsbury presented the 40-year old slugger with a leather bound book filled with congratulatory notes from Yankees’ players. Next, legendary closer Mariano Rivera came out to unveil an oil painting of Ortiz tipping his cap to the Yankee Stadium crowd.
Following the presentation of gifts, “Sweet Caroline” was played as Ortiz’s ceremony came to an end.
The crowd reaction was a positive one. However, when the crowd is 90 percent full of Red Sox fans, what more do you expect? As a side note: it appears as though the “mooning” website didn’t follow through in their ruthless plan.