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New York lawmakers to honor Red Sox legend David Ortiz (yes, really)
By
Jon Campbell
Published May 13, 2024
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By
Jon Campbell
Published May 13, 2024
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The state Senate will pause on Monday to honor a man who regularly crushed New Yorkers’ hopes and dreams.
David Ortiz, the Boston Red Sox legend and Baseball Hall of Famer whose heroics in the 2000s and 2010s made him one of the New York Yankees’ most-hated rivals, is due at the state Capitol in Albany on Monday afternoon, according to state Sen. Luis Sepúlveda, a Democrat.
The Senate is set to fete “Big Papi," as Ortiz is known, with a resolution honoring the 20th anniversary of the Red Sox’ famed 2004 season. That year, the team ended its 86-year World Series title drought after coming back from a 3-0 deficit to snatch the American League pennant from the Yankees.
Sepúlveda, the senator who sponsored the resolution, represents a Bronx district whose boundaries are just two blocks from Yankee Stadium. The Senate approved the Ortiz resolution on May 7 as part of a stack of measures they took up with a single, ultra-fast voice vote.
“David Ortiz's triumph in the 2004 World Series not only elevated his status as a sports icon but also restored hope and pride to a storied franchise,” the resolution says. “Today, we honor ‘Big Papi’ for his indelible impact on the Red Sox and the game of baseball, an achievement that reverberates through the annals of sports history.”
You might be wondering why Albany lawmakers are honoring a sports rival who does not hail from New York. The resolution cites charitable work Ortiz has done in the state, including participating in the Maestro Cares Gala, the Derek Jeter Celebrity Invitational and the C.C. Sabathia PitCCh In Foundation Charity Softball Game at Yankee Stadium.
“These activities not only underscore his commitment to philanthropy but also solidify his connection to New York State, leveraging his celebrity status to raise awareness and substantial funds for various causes, thus directly benefiting children and communities across the state,” Sepúlveda's resolution reads.
Ortiz is also an icon in the Dominican Republic, where he was born, and Sepúlveda represents a Bronx district with a growing Dominican population. In 2022, Sepúlveda, who is Puerto Rican, announced that he had received Dominican citizenship, drawing the ire of some of his Dominican colleagues, City & State reported at the time.
Monday is not the first time New York lawmakers will have honored a Dominican-born Red Sox legend. In 2015, pitcher Pedro Martinez stopped by the state Capitol to receive an award during Dominican Heritage Week, and both houses of the state Legislature passed resolutions in his honor. But he had a stronger New York connection than Ortiz, having spent four years pitching for the Mets.
Another Martinez — former Yankees first baseman Tino Martinez — was at the Capitol in Albany last week, alongside former New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree, of Helmet Catch fame. They were there to push a bill to expand the types of contests that fantasy sports companies can offer.
Tagged
new york state
dominican republic
new york city
the bronx
Politics
baseball
sports
Jon Campbell
Jon Campbell covers the New York State Capitol for WNYC and Gothamist. Prior to that, he covered the Capitol for more than a decade for the USA TODAY Network. He has twice earned the Walter T. Brown Memorial Award, an honor given annually by the Legislative Correspondents Association alumni for outstanding state government coverage. Jon grew up in the Buffalo area and graduated from the University at Albany. Got a tip? Email Jon at [email protected] or Signal at JonCampbellNY.90.
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