SARASOTA, Fla. -- The son of a legend, yet one who is trying to forge his own path, D’Angelo Ortiz wasted no time taking advantage of a rare opportunity to take his first career at-bat in Major League Spring Training camp for the Red Sox.
Facing a reliever with MLB experience in Tampa Bay’s Luis Guerrero, David Ortiz’s 21-year-old son smacked a 1-2 sweeper on the outer edge of the strike zone and placed it into right field for a single.
It was a semi-agonizing wait for D’Angelo, who was first called up as a Minor League extra for a home game at JetBlue Park on March 7 against the Rays.
Just as Ortiz was supposed to go into the game as a defensive replacement at first base, pouring rain led to the cancellation of the final three innings. A week later, Ortiz was on the travel list to play a night game against the Orioles in Sarasota. Alas, the game was rained out.
The moment finally arrived on Friday. D’Angelo took the 50-minute bus ride north to Port Charlotte and came on in the sixth inning to replace Willson Contreras at first. Wearing Number 44, the right-handed-hitting Ortiz capitalized on his opportunity during Boston's 2-0 loss to Tampa Bay at Charlotte Sports Park.
“Amazing, that was amazing,” Ortiz told reporters after the game. “I played here last year [in a Minor League game], but there weren’t fans in the stands. It was definitely exciting to get out there and get that hit. That was really special.”
David Ortiz, who essentially has a lifetime contract with the Red Sox as an ambassador in addition to his media duties for FOX, better have been watching. Otherwise, Little Papi is going to have a word with him.
“I haven’t touched my phone yet. Hopefully he was watching. If he wasn’t watching, we’ve got a problem,” quipped D’Angelo.
At this point in his development, D’Angelo, a 19th-round selection by the Red Sox in the 2024 Draft, isn’t considered a top prospect. But he plans on reaching MLB some day due to a combination of his relentless work ethic and talent.
As Ortiz reached first base following his hit, he gave a slight pump of the fist. The look of satisfaction on his face was evident. Yet he knows it was just a small step on the way toward achieving his dream.
“I feel like baseball is a hard game at every level,” Ortiz said. “And when it comes to the controllables, there's not really a competition level that is too hard. But I feel like if I get out of my own approach, and get out of myself, I can make these guys seem way better. All of them have got good stuff, so really, I was just trying to see a pitch I could hit. He’s a good pitcher. I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”
In the other dugout was Rays manager Kevin Cash. When Cash first joined the Red Sox as a backup catcher in 2007 -- a season in which he would win a World Series ring while playing with David Ortiz -- D’Angelo was 2 years old.
“That’s pretty cool,” Cash said of seeing his former teammate’s son get a hit. “I saw him running around for many years. Not surprised [he’s here].”
For Red Sox manager Alex Cora, it was another reminder of how fast time flies.
“Me and Cashy were talking about it,” Cora said. “With Manny [Ramirez’s] kid, [Gary Sheffield’s] kid and David’s kid, it’s like, [wow], I’m 50.”