Mariners give David Ortiz thoughtful and smelly retirement gifts
The David Ortiz retirement extravaganza continued its roll on Wednesday when the Boston Red Sox visited the Seattle Mariners. Before the game, the Mariners held a ceremony for Big Papi, complete with gifts to wish him well in the next chapter of his life. And of course, the Mariners didn’t skimp.
Edgar Martinez, the Mariners’ hitting coach and DH innovator, gave Ortiz his first gift. It represented Big Papi’s special connection to the Mariners. Via Cut4, he signed his very first professional contract on November 28, 1992, and it was with the Mariners. He never played for them in the majors (he was traded to the Twins in 1996), but he did play for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, their minor league affiliate at the time. Martinez presented Ortiz with the very contract he signed in 1992, plus a picture of him in a Rattlers uniform, all arranged in a frame.
Next, they gave him a very big fish. That’s not a joke or a metaphor. The Mariners actually gave him fish. They had a guy from the Pike Place Fish Market throw a very large dead salmon onto the field, and then Big Papi posed with it.
The fish was actually a representation of a larger gift the Mariners are giving him, and that gift is 34 pounds of salmon. Let’s hope the salmon is smoked or frozen, because otherwise the Ortiz family garage is going to get super smelly.
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And what would a retirement ceremony be without a visit from friends? Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, and Felix Hernandez came out to give Big Papi more gifts: gold jewelry, a giant Flavor Flav-style clock necklace, and an original painting of the man himself.
The Mariners gave Big Papi some very thoughtful gifts. The only thing missing? A book of salmon recipes. With 34 pounds to go through, he’s going to need them.
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Liz Roscher is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at lizroscher@yahoo.com or follow her on twitter! Follow @lizroscher
