Retirement tours are the worst.
Seriously, how many pairs of custom-made cowboy boots and personalized surfboards do a retiring baseball player need? Apparently, as many as the Major Leagues has teams in Texas and San Diego.
On his last trip to Baltimore, the Orioles made sure David Ortiz left Camden Yards with a piece of “history”…even if the retiring slugger specifically said prior to the season he didn’t want anything.
The date was July 27, 2013 and after asking the home plate umpire for a timeout (and not getting it), Big Papi watched a strike go by. He’d ultimately strike out, voice his displeasure and get tossed from the game.
You know…like you do.
Despite Ortiz’s teammates attempts to fix the thing, the Orioles saved the phone and during his final visit to Charm City, presented it to him as a gift.
Our gift to David Ortiz, the exact authenticated visiting dugout phone he smashed on July 27, 2013. #Birdland pic.twitter.com/QygTYmW13m
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 22, 2016
Baltimore also presented a $10,000 check to The World Pediatric Project in David Ortiz’s name to help critically ill children in the World Series hero’s home of the Dominican Republic.
Well done, birds.