Boston Red Sox Star David Ortiz to Retire After 2016 Season
David Ortiz is planning to hang up his cleats after the upcoming big league season.
Fox News reports the Boston Red Sox's slugger, affectionately known as Big Papi, is expected to officially make his plans known on Wednesday, the same day he will be celebrating his 40th birthday.
In addition, ESPN reports Ortiz will only be the 10th player in team history to play beyond his 40th birthday. Of that group, only Carl Yastrzemski, Ted Williams and Bing Miller played at least 100 games after surpassing that age.
A nine-time All-Star selection and six-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Ortiz hit .273 last season with 37 home runs and 108 RBIs. The homer total was Ortiz's highest in nine seasons, as he belted a team record 54.
In all, the free-swinging Ortiz has clubbed 503 career homers, 445 of them during his 13 seasons with the Red Sox. The total represents the third-most in franchise history, behind only Williams (521) and Yastrzemski (452). Overall, he ranks 27th on MLB's all-time home run list, just one behind Hall of Famer Eddie Murray.
Ortiz has strongly hinted his motivation for returning for one more season stems from his burning desire to add a fourth World Series ring to his collection.
"Winning another World Series [is the goal]," Ortiz said just before the end of the 2015 season. "I'll take a World Series anytime on top of 500 home runs any day. That's my goal. That's my goal for next year. That was my goal for this year, but it didn't work out that way. I'll be on it next year."
Ortiz's best season came in 2006, when he hit .287 with 54 homers and 137 RBIs. During his 13 seasons in Boston, he has finished with at least 30 homers and 102 RBIs on nine different occasions.
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