Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz, who looked like he could keep swinging a bad forever, has officially announced his plan to retire at the end of the 2016 season.
The news leaked out early on Tuesday, so that ended today’s announcement being a surprise. Ortiz announced the decision on the Players’ Tribune and posted a video statement.
“I thought a lot about it,” Ortiz said in the video. “And for every single one of us, athletes-wise, we run out of time at some point. Life is based on different chapters and I think I am ready to experience the next one of my life.”
MLB.com reports that Ortiz will made $16 million in 2016 and the Sox do have a club option for 2017. However, that won’t matter with Ortiz’s decision to step away from the game himself.
Unless Ortiz has a terrible 2016 season, he will be going off on a high note. He had a surprising 2015 season, knocking in 108 RBIs and 37 home runs. He hit his 500th career home run in September. Just two years ago, Ortiz was named the 2013 World Series MVP, helping the Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals. It was his third World Championship with the team.
Ortiz became a star with the Sox after joining them in 2003. Initially, the team struggled to find a slot for him, but by June of that year, he was playing every day. The 2004 ALCS made him a Boston sports legend and he hasn’t lost that status since.
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