Ann Michael Maye’s favorite athlete is an easy choice: her husband, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. But when it comes to baseball heroes from her childhood in North Carolina, the answer might surprise you.
Yep. That David Ortiz.
“Obviously I’m not from here. I didn’t grow up a Patriots, Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox fan at all. Big Papi was my favorite baseball player while growing up though,” Ann Michael said on a recent episode of her “Beyond Bakemas” cooking show. “Randomly, I loved him as a kid. I think I liked his name -- I was a little girl and thought it was just so fun.”
Fast forward to today, and Ann Michael is officially all-in on New England sports.
“Now I’m like, of course the Celtics are my favorite NBA team, the Red Sox are my favorite team,” she said.
Back then, though, her allegiance was a little more practical. She grew up a Braves fan -- mainly because Atlanta was the closest team to North Carolina.
These days, Ann Michael has become a social media star in her own right, especially after her festive “Bakemas” TikTok videos that racked up millions of views during the holidays.
So, here’s the dream scenario: Big Papi in the “Beyond Bakemas” kitchen, helping cook up a Red Sox-themed treat when the season rolls around. A full-circle moment, if there ever was one.