1 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: For as long as I can remember, the start of 2 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:12,879 Speaker 1: spring has been heralded by baseball players reporting to training 3 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: camp with a new season getting underway. Bringing with it 4 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: are enduring optimism for our favorite teams and the summer 5 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 1: to come. Baseball has sent us through wars, depressions, and pandemics. 6 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: It's seen Jackie Robinson break the color barrier seventy five 7 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: years ago. This eightful and players like je Marshall and 8 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: Roberto Clemente opened doors of possibilities to new generations of 9 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: players from across Latin America. Over All these decades, baseball 10 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: has always been more than a game. It's become part 11 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: of who we are. So why am I telling you this? 12 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: Because after a long, dark off season and a lockout 13 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: that put the schedule in jeopardy, baseball is back and 14 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: there's no better person to help us celebrate than our 15 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:06,399 Speaker 1: guests today, A once in a generation player who embodies 16 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: the best of baseball both on and off the field. 17 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: He's a ten time All Star, three time World Series champions, 18 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: seven time Silver Slugger, soon to be Baseball Hall of Famer, 19 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: and a hero to fans young and old from New 20 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: England to the Dominican Republic David Ortiz. During his fourteen 21 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 1: years with the Boston Red Sox, David helped lead the 22 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: team to three championships, including ending the infamous eighty six 23 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: year curse the so called Curse of the Bambino in 24 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:41,039 Speaker 1: two thousand four. He also set and still holds the 25 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:43,559 Speaker 1: team record for most home runs in a single season 26 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 1: with fifty four, and is widely considered one of the 27 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: greatest designated hitters in the history of the game. He's 28 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 1: also always been focused on giving back off the field, 29 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 1: particularly through the David Ortiz Children's Fund, which provides critical 30 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 1: cardiac services the children in need. David, thanks for being 31 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: here today, Mr President. How are you. I'm good. It's 32 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:09,359 Speaker 1: nice to hear your voice. It's good seeing you. Obviously 33 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 1: you in a minute. Um. I think everyone who will 34 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: be listening to this podcast knows who you are and 35 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: knows probably that you came from the Dominican Republic, But 36 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: that doesn't explain how you fell in love with baseball 37 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: and how you've finally got a chance to play in 38 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: the major So tell us how old were you when 39 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 1: you started playing, How were you when you knew you 40 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:33,639 Speaker 1: fell in love with the game, and how old were 41 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: you when you realized you had a chance to make 42 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 1: the Major's Well, first of all, I want to say 43 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: hi to all your audience. It's an honor. So we 44 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: having this podcast you Mr President and uh In my case, 45 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 1: I would like people to understand importance of discipline, dedication 46 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: and one of the most important things. I always take 47 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 1: a lot of pride on on the things that I do, 48 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 1: especially when my family list in ball. And and that's 49 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: where my story begins. You know, I was a kid 50 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: coming from uh String neighborhood back in the Dominican Republic. 51 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:16,119 Speaker 1: But I have a couple of parents who are They 52 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:21,640 Speaker 1: wasn't professionists, but they one thing to get to be 53 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: done the right way. My mom emphasized a lot of education. 54 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 1: My dad as well. And my dad was very good 55 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 1: baseball player. And but back then it came to be 56 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: a professional ball player baseball player, it was harder than 57 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: what it is nowadays. So my dad is just the 58 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: kind of guy that he had a lot of faith 59 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: on God and he always told me the story that 60 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: once he had a quick baseball he basically went to 61 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: church and prayed to God to have that his first 62 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: child was a boy, and and that be came to 63 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: be a baseball player. What I learned from it is 64 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 1: that dream come true. You know, God have faith and 65 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: got it, and you gotta change your dreams. And at 66 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,720 Speaker 1: some point if you have dedication and discipline, he can 67 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: come through, you know. And my dad skins. I was 68 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:23,720 Speaker 1: a kid, I remember my favor. My very first toy 69 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:27,600 Speaker 1: was a baseball back and ball in the glove. But 70 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: me being a lefty back then in the Dominican it 71 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: was hard to found a left under blow. So my 72 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:41,679 Speaker 1: dad bought me a right handed glove. I used to 73 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: wear it in the hands when I used to wear 74 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 1: and sometimes I used to wear in the left in 75 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: the hand castaball take the glove off and throw the baseball. 76 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:54,039 Speaker 1: And when I was like eight or nine, he got 77 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: me into this one literal league team because he used 78 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 1: to see down when he comes back from work. He 79 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: used to see and to watch me playing baseball on 80 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:05,160 Speaker 1: the street in front of the house. And my dad, 81 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 1: for some reason he thought I had something especial going on, 82 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 1: and since that he started emphasizing on me following up 83 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 1: with baseball because he said that when I was like 84 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 1: nine ten years old, the kids that were a ready 85 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:25,480 Speaker 1: fourteen and fifteen, used to pick me on their team 86 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: to play with him. They used to fight to help 87 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 1: me playing in dirt team because he said that my 88 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:34,480 Speaker 1: hands in that coordination at the age of nine ten, 89 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 1: it was very special. So my dad he just he 90 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:43,279 Speaker 1: just fall in love where he pushed me, pushed me. 91 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 1: I was. I was the type of guy that at 92 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 1: some point I truly fall in love with basketball just 93 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: watching Michael Jordan's and all those guys doing that. That 94 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: in the NBA was pretty big. Back in the Dominican Republic, 95 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: I used to love being the basketball court playing basketball. 96 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,360 Speaker 1: You know. I used to go to the baseball field 97 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:09,159 Speaker 1: and then if I see a basketball cortin as, I 98 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 1: used to stop at the basketball court, start playing basketball 99 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 1: and forget about baseball. That's how crazy it was about baseball, 100 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:19,040 Speaker 1: about about basketball at the time. But my dad keep 101 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:21,240 Speaker 1: from pushing me, keep from pushing me. He used to 102 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 1: go sometimes to the baseball court and be like, hey, no, no, no, 103 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: that's not what you're gonna be. You're gonna be a 104 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: baseball player. Here, let's go to the baseball field. And 105 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:35,479 Speaker 1: he had got to the point where one day, I 106 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 1: don't know where I remember I was on my way 107 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 1: to play basketball, and then they had a baseball game 108 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:46,640 Speaker 1: going on and they were missing a couple of guys, 109 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 1: so they know that I used to practice base but 110 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:53,080 Speaker 1: and I was into it, and the guy pulled me 111 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 1: into the game and then I hit two homes. When 112 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 1: that happened, I was like, wow, I think I can 113 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 1: do this. I can't do this. So I started like 114 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: playing more baseball, and I started following in love more 115 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: with the game. Baseball was my thing. We were in 116 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: Chicago and I was in the bar. We are Ellis 117 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 1: Bert after the game and the NBA was there, so 118 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: J having security coming to get uh Ellis Burt and 119 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: myself to come and join him, and uh that was 120 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: the time whatever minute, And I told him straight up, hey, look, 121 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 1: you know what, because of you, I almost not get 122 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: to be playing baseball right now. He was like what, 123 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 1: And then I started doing the breakdown for him and 124 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 1: we were laughing and and it was fun. And but 125 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 1: like I said, you know, Uh, I was lucky enough 126 00:07:52,320 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: to have parents uh focus on education and sport at 127 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: the same time without ruined the attention for anyone of 128 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:09,240 Speaker 1: or the two things. Educational sport. They want to make 129 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: sure that I educated myself in that same time. Play 130 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 1: is for and thanks to your parents. And then we 131 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 1: all owe him a lot because your dad cat you 132 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: in baseball and you broke the curse of the m 133 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 1: Vino in two thousand four. That's exactly how he went 134 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 1: down and started the Yokers. The You know, this is 135 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 1: very interesting to me because I've spent a lot of 136 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: time in the Dominican Republic over the last twenty years, 137 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:42,800 Speaker 1: and one of my closest friends and college classmates and 138 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 1: still lives there. We do a lot of work together 139 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:48,560 Speaker 1: and and we've talked a lot about how how rich 140 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 1: the baseball heritage is there. Even the great Satchel Page 141 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:56,440 Speaker 1: played in the Dominican Republic back in this nineteen sixties 142 00:08:56,440 --> 00:09:00,040 Speaker 1: and fifties. He'd go down there. So there is a 143 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 1: long history there, and there's a most Americans don't know it, 144 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:06,559 Speaker 1: but there's a kind of a Latin American World Series 145 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:12,680 Speaker 1: every year with Mexico, the American Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, 146 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 1: Cuba and uh. It was several years ago. It was 147 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 1: in Jalisco, and I was invited to go down and 148 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 1: be there when we threw out the first pitch with 149 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 1: the great boxer Canelo, and thank goodness, he threw the 150 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:31,840 Speaker 1: ball and I didn't have to, so his arm was 151 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 1: slightly better than mine. Oh my good did you think 152 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 1: a lot when you played that you were basically walking 153 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: in the staffs of one Marshall Sammy Sells, the great 154 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 1: Dominican players before. Were you aware that you were carrying 155 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 1: this heritage forward? Reality is suppression that I, uh, I 156 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 1: was the kid that all I have a mind when 157 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: that's first joke into the pro was founding the way 158 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 1: to help my family. We were poor family coming from 159 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 1: the dominic, and my mom and dad I used to 160 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:13,280 Speaker 1: work extremely hard to pay for the school, to pay 161 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:19,280 Speaker 1: for food. We didn't have any extra things because we 162 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:26,079 Speaker 1: can't afford it. And my childhood was really good because 163 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:32,439 Speaker 1: he was full of love in respect, but nothing else. 164 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:37,679 Speaker 1: We don't have any financial statement. It was the type 165 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 1: of living that it was in the day by day 166 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 1: type of things and it was basically, you know, surviving 167 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:50,320 Speaker 1: type of thing. And but my my mom and dad 168 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 1: they hold on tight, they protect uh their kids. They 169 00:10:56,280 --> 00:11:00,560 Speaker 1: always try their best to take care of us the 170 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:05,360 Speaker 1: way they can. At the time when I was like sixteen, 171 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: seventeen with all the pressure that I was living into it. 172 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 1: I know exactly what I need to be and what 173 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:15,600 Speaker 1: I want to be. I just don't know what it 174 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 1: was gonna take me to get there, but I know 175 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 1: my mind has very clear the things that I need 176 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 1: to do. Two, put my family in a situation because 177 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: I was the only way out. I was their only 178 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 1: way out. It was the only way out but me. 179 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 1: So I know that I had that responsibility, and I started, 180 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: you know, working on trying to learn what it takes 181 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: to be one of those guys that you just mentioned. Well, 182 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:51,360 Speaker 1: I'm very moved by what you said about your mother, 183 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:55,320 Speaker 1: and I know you lost her about twenty years ago. 184 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 1: I think this year in the car accident. Yes, and 185 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:01,880 Speaker 1: you were paying tribute. You're at you every home running. Yes. 186 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:05,199 Speaker 1: I remember when I lost my mom. I was playing 187 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 1: for the Twins and it was after New Year Dead. 188 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:11,760 Speaker 1: My mom used to go to busy her family, you know, 189 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 1: New Year, you know, and that one time it was 190 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:17,600 Speaker 1: like basically saying goodbye, because on the way back home 191 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:22,120 Speaker 1: they asked it happened, and I was pretty close to 192 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 1: my mom. I was, I was, you know, my mom was. 193 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:29,480 Speaker 1: I always give some hard time to my sister saying 194 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:34,840 Speaker 1: that I was my mom favorite child. She just spoiled 195 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 1: man enough, you know what I'm saying, My moments to 196 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:40,199 Speaker 1: love cooking and just sit down and watch me eat. 197 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:43,080 Speaker 1: She used to call me her big boy, you know. 198 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:47,920 Speaker 1: And we had that type of connection. And once that happened, 199 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:54,680 Speaker 1: that that heat home hard, you know, because my career, uh, 200 00:12:54,679 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 1: he would just beginning, and it was something that no 201 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:07,960 Speaker 1: one is prepared for that, you know. And and I 202 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 1: remember I went to spring training in March. I remember 203 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 1: I used to celebrate my mother's birthday because her birthday 204 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:20,720 Speaker 1: was marched four wards. We were in the middle spring 205 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 1: training and that day that it was her birthday. Uh. 206 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 1: I remember getting to the field, I got to the 207 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:37,320 Speaker 1: parking lot and I was just bawling, crying, and I 208 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 1: just sitting down by myself in the parking lot, and uh, 209 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 1: the whole team came out and picked me up. And 210 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 1: I remember my boy, Buddy Hunter, he was he was 211 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:53,240 Speaker 1: my teammate at the time. He was the first one 212 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:56,840 Speaker 1: who coming and grabbed me. And you know, everybody was 213 00:13:56,880 --> 00:14:01,880 Speaker 1: super cool. And I was in the line of that 214 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: day and I remember I hit two homers on that game, 215 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 1: and the first thing that came to my mind after 216 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 1: I hit the first summer was doing that that celebration 217 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 1: when I got to the plate. And since that day, 218 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:19,480 Speaker 1: it was like the best feeling I have had after 219 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: I hit the home run. I bet you still miss 220 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 1: your mother? Oh yeah, every day? My mother dad twenty 221 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:33,840 Speaker 1: nine years ago, last January six, and uh, I still 222 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 1: think about her, you know all the time. That's a 223 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:39,160 Speaker 1: different love, Mr President, That's a different love. You know, 224 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 1: you got your wife, you got your kids, you got 225 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 1: your family member, you got everybody, you got friends. But 226 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 1: the love coming from mom is is different. That's why 227 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:51,680 Speaker 1: I always tell my kids, you love for your mom 228 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 1: is the love for your mom, you know, it's it's 229 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:57,920 Speaker 1: it's something that is extremely different. That connection is different. 230 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 1: I'm a guy that I'm buy so many lovely people, 231 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,760 Speaker 1: so many people, like my family is based on that 232 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:10,640 Speaker 1: sprained love everywhere, but that one type of love is different. 233 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:17,720 Speaker 1: So you became famous in Boston for many things, but 234 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:21,200 Speaker 1: no one will ever forget the speech you gave in 235 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:28,160 Speaker 1: Fenway Park after the Boston Marathon bombing, and uh, you 236 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 1: captured the feelings of everybody in Boston, but also one 237 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: of the hearts of everybody in America from how did 238 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 1: that happen? How did you come to be speaking and 239 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:43,320 Speaker 1: saying that? Do you did you? Did you know what 240 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:46,560 Speaker 1: you were gonna say when you started talking? No idea, 241 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:50,240 Speaker 1: no idea. But the one thing that I always tell 242 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 1: everyone is that first of all, this country it means 243 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:01,840 Speaker 1: everything to me. You know, um, this is going to 244 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:05,720 Speaker 1: give me the opportunity to me and my family to 245 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 1: have a future. And I always keep from telling people, 246 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 1: you know, like it's going through to me, it's just 247 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:18,120 Speaker 1: like the Dominican Republic. Uh, It's a country that means 248 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: everything to me. The thing was traveling. I was a 249 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 1: Boston rehabit and when I saw all that things happening, 250 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 1: I thought I was watching a movie because I couldn't believe. 251 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 1: Like the marathon, like who is not related to the marathon? 252 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 1: Like the marathon is what we raise money to fight disease, 253 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:45,680 Speaker 1: you know, it's what we where everybody get together for 254 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:51,240 Speaker 1: the cause. That means a lot to everyone. And when 255 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:53,920 Speaker 1: I saw that going down and I was, I was, 256 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:56,480 Speaker 1: I got stuck. I don't I don't even know what 257 00:16:56,560 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 1: to think. And I started getting frustrated because I always 258 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:07,000 Speaker 1: the rest Socks do a great job we with all 259 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:11,640 Speaker 1: of us as a player, making sure that we are 260 00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:15,560 Speaker 1: involved in the community service. You know what I'm saying. 261 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:18,439 Speaker 1: We go to hospital, we go to school, we go 262 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:21,439 Speaker 1: to jobs, we we we we like the rest Socks. 263 00:17:21,600 --> 00:17:25,320 Speaker 1: I'm very proud about what I learned playing for the 264 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:28,480 Speaker 1: rest Socks when they come down to community service, because 265 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:33,359 Speaker 1: they made sure that we get involved with the community. 266 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:38,480 Speaker 1: So one that was going on, I remember seeing a 267 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:42,639 Speaker 1: black hawk flying by my house, and you know that 268 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 1: you don't see a black hawk every day. Who know 269 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 1: that when you see a black hawk there's something going down, 270 00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:53,320 Speaker 1: And it was when all the chasing was going off. 271 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 1: Three days later, the team comes back in town. But 272 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: three days you know, just seeing all the people that 273 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:11,160 Speaker 1: lost family members, that love body parts, all these beautiful 274 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 1: people that was trying to help, that was trying to 275 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:21,399 Speaker 1: do things, it was very devastating. I mean I I was. 276 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:27,240 Speaker 1: I was very very upset. And the one thing that 277 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 1: he homed for me especially it was just one kid 278 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: that got killed, you know, that was something that it 279 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:42,080 Speaker 1: was very devastating to me. So when the thing came 280 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:46,119 Speaker 1: back in town, we are again and that was going 281 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:50,560 Speaker 1: to be my first gig of the season, and we 282 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 1: had the ceremony going on going on my family. I 283 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,919 Speaker 1: had no clue that they were gonna pick me to 284 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 1: go out there and say something to the fans. I 285 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:04,000 Speaker 1: had no idea that happened, Like I want the ceremony 286 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:07,119 Speaker 1: start going five minutes before. They were like, hey, we 287 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:08,879 Speaker 1: want you to go out there, and I was in 288 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:10,159 Speaker 1: the dog. We want you to go out there and 289 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:14,120 Speaker 1: say something to the fans. And all I say out 290 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:21,359 Speaker 1: there was me being a citizen. I never thought about 291 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:25,359 Speaker 1: me being Dave Rutize, me being the face of the franchise, 292 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 1: me being who I was. All I thought about was 293 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:31,480 Speaker 1: all the stuff that we went through through all those 294 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 1: days as an American citizen, and and that was what 295 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:41,159 Speaker 1: I left over an amount when I took over the microphone. 296 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:45,600 Speaker 1: And all I want to make sure when I say 297 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,880 Speaker 1: what I say is that I want people to know 298 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:52,240 Speaker 1: that even going through all that this is the greatest 299 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:54,960 Speaker 1: country to live. Because I know where I come from, 300 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:56,680 Speaker 1: and I know the lack of opportunity that you can 301 00:19:56,680 --> 00:20:00,119 Speaker 1: have in the third world country. What is something that 302 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:04,320 Speaker 1: here in this country, if you come in and work hard, 303 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 1: they give the opportunity to have that American dream that 304 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 1: we all talk about, and that was it. That was me. 305 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 1: You did a great thing for America that day. More 306 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:28,040 Speaker 1: after this, when was your first season in the major 307 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:33,720 Speaker 1: leagues and how old were you it was? I got 308 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:36,879 Speaker 1: cold up my first game, very first game, was a 309 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:41,240 Speaker 1: really feel something that I think it was the best 310 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 1: experience of all time because you're talking about one of 311 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 1: day uh legendary fields. Growing up as a kid, my 312 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:53,359 Speaker 1: favorite player was Carby Pocket, and carry Pocket at the 313 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 1: time was working in the front office for the Minnesota Twins. 314 00:20:57,560 --> 00:21:01,960 Speaker 1: But when I got cold up, he was there. Uh 315 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 1: he was in the clothhouse, and I think it was 316 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:06,400 Speaker 1: the greatest thing and the reason why he he came 317 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:08,159 Speaker 1: to be my favorite player, it was because when I 318 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:11,920 Speaker 1: was a kid, I had no patience to sit down 319 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:14,240 Speaker 1: to watch the baseball game, and my dad's in the 320 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:18,639 Speaker 1: playoffs between the Braids and the Minnesota Twins. He basically 321 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 1: forced me to see on to watch the game, and 322 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:25,200 Speaker 1: I sit down, and that was when Kirby made that 323 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:30,880 Speaker 1: that incredible cash in center field that we all remember, 324 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:34,840 Speaker 1: and he went out there to hit and then he 325 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:39,320 Speaker 1: hit a bomb. So as a kid that I stayed 326 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 1: with me forever. So when I got traded from Seattle 327 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:49,720 Speaker 1: to Minnesota, the one guy that I wanted me, I 328 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:53,240 Speaker 1: mean badly, was Kirby. And Kirby was so good to me. 329 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:56,600 Speaker 1: He was like a father to me, Like he was 330 00:21:56,720 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 1: the most fun guy to be year around, you know. 331 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:05,160 Speaker 1: And and Kirby take care of all of us, all 332 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:07,479 Speaker 1: of us, you know, And he was working in the 333 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 1: front office in the spring training. Used to come down 334 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:14,000 Speaker 1: and make sure that, you know, our mindset, of our 335 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:17,240 Speaker 1: preparation and everything was good to go. But at same time, 336 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:22,399 Speaker 1: he was a cloud, which I think made baseball, you know, 337 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:25,880 Speaker 1: even more fun when you have a guy like him, 338 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:30,520 Speaker 1: you know, being him. It was something that that really 339 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:35,120 Speaker 1: really helped us out. And unfortunately we're into losing Kirby 340 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:39,840 Speaker 1: down the road. And when I got to Boston the 341 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 1: number that used to wear I Minnesota, he was already 342 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:48,560 Speaker 1: one of his number that he was hanging up there. Uh, 343 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:50,080 Speaker 1: they asked me one number, I want to wear it? 344 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:53,280 Speaker 1: And then I went from Kurby. Oh well yeah, that's 345 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:57,080 Speaker 1: how he went down. But yeah, my first game was 346 00:22:57,119 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 1: to really feel I remember amy so as I playing 347 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:04,960 Speaker 1: right field, Mark Grays played first Gray. I used to 348 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,159 Speaker 1: be a first base on another time. So Mark Grays 349 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 1: was one of my hey were played to watch. So 350 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:14,840 Speaker 1: Sammy told Mark Grays about it, and I remember Mark 351 00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 1: Gray sending me one of his glove autographs to me. 352 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:21,080 Speaker 1: That was everything. I lost it when I didn't see 353 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:23,919 Speaker 1: that glow it was it was, it was beautiful, It 354 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:26,480 Speaker 1: was beautiful, and that was what I got. My first hit, 355 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:28,240 Speaker 1: My first thing in the Big League was a double. 356 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:35,920 Speaker 1: That's great. I remember in nine when I was still president, 357 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:40,399 Speaker 1: I went to Atlanta to celebrate the twenty five anniversary 358 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:44,639 Speaker 1: of Henk Karen breaking Babe Bruce home run record and 359 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:47,840 Speaker 1: a lot of the great All Stars were there, but 360 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:52,840 Speaker 1: the only player that was playing still in doing well 361 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 1: who came with Sammy Celsis And I said, I can't 362 00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:58,919 Speaker 1: believe you're here. I really appreciate you making the effort 363 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:02,720 Speaker 1: to come, And he said, uh no, no, no, I 364 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:04,600 Speaker 1: had to be here. What you should want to know 365 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:07,439 Speaker 1: is where the others are. Did they think we'd be 366 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:09,359 Speaker 1: making all this big money if it hadn't been for 367 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:13,679 Speaker 1: Hank Aaron getting baseball and doing what he did, you know, 368 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:17,960 Speaker 1: and I love the way baseball bills on each other, 369 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:22,920 Speaker 1: you know, traditions sometimes now a hundred years old. It's 370 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:26,800 Speaker 1: it's beautiful. And Hank Aaron and I became very close 371 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:30,520 Speaker 1: friends that He said something that night that I'll never forget, 372 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:34,440 Speaker 1: just because it's what I see often in the greatest athletes, 373 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:37,640 Speaker 1: a certain humility, you know. And I said, I said, Hank, 374 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:41,359 Speaker 1: who's the best player you ever played with her against? 375 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 1: And he said, oh, that's not close. He said William Mazes. 376 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:48,880 Speaker 1: He said, he, uh, he had the best arm from 377 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:53,359 Speaker 1: outfield since for Berto Clemente. He could run like a 378 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:57,000 Speaker 1: deer and he could hit like a demon, and he 379 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:00,800 Speaker 1: would have broken Babe Ruth record too, if the Giants 380 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:04,399 Speaker 1: hadn't moved to Candle State Park where the wind blew 381 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:08,680 Speaker 1: oh yeah, from Blackfield right in the home flight. He said, 382 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:11,760 Speaker 1: there were nights even God couldn't at home running Candlestick. 383 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:18,320 Speaker 1: But I thought, you know, here's this guy celebrating his 384 00:25:18,520 --> 00:25:22,520 Speaker 1: epic record talking about other people. And I see that 385 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:25,119 Speaker 1: all the time in baseball, a sense of the history, 386 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,119 Speaker 1: of the sense of the appreciation for other people. And 387 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:31,160 Speaker 1: I've always respected out about you the way you treat 388 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:33,880 Speaker 1: the game with respect, to treat the players with respect, 389 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:36,480 Speaker 1: you know, you know, what now that you say that 390 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:39,880 Speaker 1: A few things before I forgot when you were talking 391 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:44,040 Speaker 1: about Mr hang Aaron's I have a wonderful spirit with him. 392 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:47,520 Speaker 1: Before I got to hang out even more with him. 393 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:50,640 Speaker 1: I remember we one day without them for War Series 394 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:55,320 Speaker 1: and I went with the family to the Bahamas and 395 00:25:55,359 --> 00:25:57,399 Speaker 1: I'm sitting down having dinner with my family and the 396 00:25:57,480 --> 00:26:01,960 Speaker 1: table and this yet man stand all right next to 397 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:05,639 Speaker 1: me and told me. I'm not looking at him and listening. 398 00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:09,040 Speaker 1: I'm listening to what he's saying. And he said, hey, 399 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:12,159 Speaker 1: and with my grandson, can you sign this baseball for me? 400 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:15,960 Speaker 1: And I was like, of course. And then I got 401 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:18,639 Speaker 1: the baseball and when I was about to sign it, 402 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:22,720 Speaker 1: I look up and when I saw him, I was like, 403 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 1: wait a minute, why don't you sign one for me? 404 00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:30,199 Speaker 1: It was the coolest thing that I ever happened to me. 405 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:33,480 Speaker 1: When I saw me saying asking me for an autograph, 406 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 1: I was like, not another, you sign one for me? 407 00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:38,439 Speaker 1: How about that? And now we alway used to make 408 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:44,280 Speaker 1: fun at it about it after that, and when it 409 00:26:44,359 --> 00:26:49,639 Speaker 1: comes down to prospect the game, the one thing that 410 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:52,800 Speaker 1: I always Mr President and thought about while I play 411 00:26:54,040 --> 00:27:00,199 Speaker 1: it was that this game is like when you are 412 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:03,080 Speaker 1: an Olympic running that you have to pass the torch 413 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:10,359 Speaker 1: to someone else. Uh the game, I would say, unfortunately. 414 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:15,000 Speaker 1: It's like that. Why I say unfortunately, because when you 415 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:16,800 Speaker 1: fall in love with this game, you never want to 416 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 1: be out of it, and at some point you have 417 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:22,920 Speaker 1: to because you don't get any younger. You know what 418 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:26,760 Speaker 1: I'm saying. By the one thing that I always enjoyed 419 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,000 Speaker 1: was being able to pass the torch do it on 420 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:33,840 Speaker 1: the prowd way. Because I have so many young talented 421 00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:37,679 Speaker 1: players now that I don't play, coming to me and 422 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:41,120 Speaker 1: be like, hey man, you know I appreciate it where 423 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:43,200 Speaker 1: you did things and the way you handle the business 424 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:47,760 Speaker 1: with we all of us, you know, coming up guys 425 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:49,760 Speaker 1: that played with me, Guys that even more part of 426 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:52,080 Speaker 1: the opposition that I had to sit down and get 427 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:55,119 Speaker 1: their advice because I believe in the talent. I love 428 00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:59,239 Speaker 1: to see the guys that had the great talent and 429 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:01,840 Speaker 1: being able to get them advice, let them know how 430 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:04,680 Speaker 1: things though, because all I want all I work about 431 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:06,480 Speaker 1: when I play, and even now that I don't place, 432 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:09,240 Speaker 1: make sure that the game get better and better and better. 433 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:13,600 Speaker 1: And the only way that happened is with educational perspect 434 00:28:14,359 --> 00:28:28,119 Speaker 1: it's stay there forever. We'll be right back. Do you 435 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:33,280 Speaker 1: announce your retirement in before the season and then you 436 00:28:33,359 --> 00:28:35,639 Speaker 1: went out and at the most home runs by a 437 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:38,840 Speaker 1: player in his final year? Ever, how did you know 438 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:40,880 Speaker 1: it was time to hang it up? And did you 439 00:28:40,880 --> 00:28:47,560 Speaker 1: ever have any second thoughts? Um? Reality is that the 440 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:51,680 Speaker 1: season before that one, you know, my last first gear, 441 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 1: playing my last four years, I will go in through 442 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:59,840 Speaker 1: a lot of pain and my achilles. I first injured 443 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:04,560 Speaker 1: my right one and then all of a sudden, my 444 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:10,480 Speaker 1: my left when the start, you know, start hurting, and 445 00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:13,239 Speaker 1: the rest of the did a great job. They had 446 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:17,360 Speaker 1: a whole team working on me. I remember, uh for 447 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:19,720 Speaker 1: the seven p m. Gang, I used to come around 448 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:25,880 Speaker 1: to to theddy, but once this olders treatment start taking places, 449 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:28,840 Speaker 1: I had to come to the field by noon. So 450 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:32,440 Speaker 1: I would left living, you know, the family, earlier than 451 00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:35,600 Speaker 1: usual to make sure I get ready and prepared to 452 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:39,200 Speaker 1: play the game. So to me, I always wear the 453 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:42,520 Speaker 1: uniform with a lot of pride and and I know 454 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:48,960 Speaker 1: that the fans always expect me too to come through. Uh. 455 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:52,000 Speaker 1: While I wore the uniform like that, that was the 456 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:55,880 Speaker 1: responsibility that I kind of build up through the time, 457 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:58,240 Speaker 1: and and and I had that connection with the fans, 458 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:00,480 Speaker 1: and and I want to make sure don't miss a 459 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 1: beat while I played so two that going through all 460 00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:10,680 Speaker 1: that two that in fifteen, I I remember, and that 461 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:15,400 Speaker 1: was when I find out that I gotta go through story, right. 462 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:19,960 Speaker 1: I remember we were playing I think it was a 463 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:23,040 Speaker 1: Seattle and then we went to Houston something like that. 464 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:28,320 Speaker 1: I can't really remember, but I remember I hit a double. 465 00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:31,880 Speaker 1: And when I was a second base, they have a 466 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:36,440 Speaker 1: new picture coming in. And while I was sitting there, 467 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:40,800 Speaker 1: you know how the players come around you to talk 468 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:46,080 Speaker 1: to you, you know, interact with you. Uh, while the 469 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:51,160 Speaker 1: picture is getting ready, the infielder came around and everybody 470 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:53,840 Speaker 1: was like twenty years old. And I were like, wait 471 00:30:53,880 --> 00:31:00,400 Speaker 1: a minute, all this guy can be my kids? Is 472 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:05,280 Speaker 1: not fun? Uh? And then I'm hurting. I mean, what's 473 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:08,600 Speaker 1: going on here? I went home that night and I 474 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:12,040 Speaker 1: was thinking about a big time and plus I had 475 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:15,120 Speaker 1: a hossle to get that double. And when I stopped 476 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:17,520 Speaker 1: a second base, I want to make sure that the 477 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:20,400 Speaker 1: next guy hit him. It makes you hit another double 478 00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:23,400 Speaker 1: or hit at home run, because I don't think I 479 00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:26,360 Speaker 1: was feeling like scoring with the basic. That's how much 480 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:30,280 Speaker 1: I was hurting. So all this stuff started stacking up. 481 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:38,320 Speaker 1: And then I went to play to Houston and exactly 482 00:31:38,360 --> 00:31:41,000 Speaker 1: the same thing happened. I hit a double, they got 483 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:43,840 Speaker 1: a new picture coming in. And then I remember our 484 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:48,320 Speaker 1: two ways, who is short but he was like nineteen 485 00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:51,040 Speaker 1: at the time something like that, came to me and 486 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:55,240 Speaker 1: he was looking up to me and was like, hi, Poppy. 487 00:31:56,560 --> 00:31:59,240 Speaker 1: That was when I said, Okay, this is really happening. 488 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:05,000 Speaker 1: This is the message right here. He's a great player, Yeah, definitely. 489 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:08,120 Speaker 1: And I went home. We got back from the road 490 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:13,080 Speaker 1: thread and I went home and I started talking to 491 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:19,040 Speaker 1: the family. I told my agent Fernando, and I'm gonna 492 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:21,880 Speaker 1: hang it out after this year. And then I remember 493 00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:26,640 Speaker 1: Fernando asking me, hey, but what happened. If you're older, 494 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:32,000 Speaker 1: U prayer option kicks in. I'm like, I don't care. 495 00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:36,240 Speaker 1: I'm gonna get the prayer for next year, and I'm 496 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:40,080 Speaker 1: gonna try my best. I'm gonna get people everything I got, 497 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:44,040 Speaker 1: you know. And and that wasn't an amazing seas and 498 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:49,160 Speaker 1: amazing this this, and I put some incredible numbers. I 499 00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:51,960 Speaker 1: don't even know how I did it, because be my 500 00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:57,120 Speaker 1: last year everywhere I go, people always have something going 501 00:32:57,160 --> 00:33:01,200 Speaker 1: on for me every every stadium, which is something that 502 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:04,960 Speaker 1: I really appreciate. When I went to New York, my boy, 503 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:10,640 Speaker 1: Marianna and the whole Yankee they did an amazing ceremony 504 00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:12,920 Speaker 1: for me, something that I was kind of nervous about 505 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:16,080 Speaker 1: before he happened because I don't know what it was 506 00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:19,800 Speaker 1: gonna turn out to be, you know, because I remember 507 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:23,640 Speaker 1: we did Jitter uh a couple of years before that. 508 00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:31,280 Speaker 1: So the Jitter ceremony, I think with Park was really good. 509 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:35,680 Speaker 1: I feel really gay. Everything was very respectful. I mean, 510 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:39,320 Speaker 1: the organization did an amazing job. But you know, sometimes 511 00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:41,520 Speaker 1: the fans get out of control. You know, you can 512 00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:45,520 Speaker 1: control that. So when I went to the europe My ceremony, 513 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:50,480 Speaker 1: it was a little nervous. The Yankee were, uh, Betty 514 00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:57,080 Speaker 1: committed to uh the ceremony. Everything went perfect with my family. 515 00:33:57,360 --> 00:34:00,120 Speaker 1: I mean it was beautiful. Were you took over and 516 00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:03,520 Speaker 1: the as I read the collective bargaining agreement. Now in 517 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:06,920 Speaker 1: the playoffs, every team gets a designated hitter. Is that right? 518 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:12,680 Speaker 1: So you must like that? Oh man, I wish they 519 00:34:12,680 --> 00:34:17,239 Speaker 1: can be playing again. Let me let me ask you 520 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:19,799 Speaker 1: one thing before I let you go. Tell us how 521 00:34:19,880 --> 00:34:24,240 Speaker 1: you started and why you started the David Ortiz Children's 522 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:27,239 Speaker 1: Fun and what does it do in New England. I 523 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:30,080 Speaker 1: think the people would like to know that because I 524 00:34:30,239 --> 00:34:35,279 Speaker 1: really believe that every citizen who can afford to in 525 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:37,839 Speaker 1: terms of time and depending on how young their kids are, 526 00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:40,799 Speaker 1: I want to have something to do besides their day job. 527 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:42,839 Speaker 1: And I think you made a heck of a decision here, 528 00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:46,160 Speaker 1: So tell us how you started it and why what 529 00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:51,959 Speaker 1: it does. I think everything began knowing where it comes from. Look, 530 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:55,080 Speaker 1: if you had never been bored, sometimes you never get 531 00:34:55,120 --> 00:34:59,400 Speaker 1: to know. They're really important things in life, you know. 532 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:04,920 Speaker 1: I I can call myself lucky that I as a child, 533 00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:09,600 Speaker 1: I never had to face any critical situation, Thanks God 534 00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:13,000 Speaker 1: and thanks my parents for it. But I saw a 535 00:35:13,040 --> 00:35:18,280 Speaker 1: lot of parents family struggle with with a sick child. 536 00:35:19,480 --> 00:35:22,640 Speaker 1: Let me tell you, I'm crazy about kids, kids who 537 00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:25,560 Speaker 1: may are everything. You know. I I got my own 538 00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:28,680 Speaker 1: kids and whenever they see children and I think they 539 00:35:28,719 --> 00:35:33,440 Speaker 1: deserve the best, you know, And that's how my foundation begins. 540 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:37,359 Speaker 1: Just thinking about all the parents that can afford pay 541 00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:42,640 Speaker 1: for surgery, especially heart surgery. I mean, there's so many 542 00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:45,400 Speaker 1: disease out there, cancer, diabetic, I mean, you name it, 543 00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:49,399 Speaker 1: and I had to shoot for one of all of them. 544 00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:53,239 Speaker 1: And the reason why I went for heart surgery it 545 00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:55,400 Speaker 1: was because I remember a friend of mine. I was 546 00:35:55,440 --> 00:35:58,640 Speaker 1: in the Dominican in a friend of mine. It wasn't 547 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:02,880 Speaker 1: it was the Sunday, never forget about that. I was 548 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:04,960 Speaker 1: getting ready to go to the beach with my family 549 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:06,600 Speaker 1: and he told me, can you give me five minutes. 550 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:07,960 Speaker 1: I want to take it to a place for you 551 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:11,880 Speaker 1: to check up on what is going on there. And 552 00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:15,160 Speaker 1: I was like, all right, let's do it. The place 553 00:36:15,239 --> 00:36:18,400 Speaker 1: was five minutes away from my house and in that 554 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:22,080 Speaker 1: place is where I had my foundation running right now. 555 00:36:22,239 --> 00:36:28,120 Speaker 1: It's a hospital settiment. I went there and it was 556 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:31,000 Speaker 1: a heart broken when I when I went there because 557 00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:34,080 Speaker 1: it was this one kid who at the time was 558 00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:37,560 Speaker 1: my older son age it was four at the time, 559 00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:42,359 Speaker 1: and it was this little girl who also was there. 560 00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:46,920 Speaker 1: The tour than just got I certainly done by. It 561 00:36:47,080 --> 00:36:52,359 Speaker 1: was basically like it wasn't complete because they were needing medicine. 562 00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:57,439 Speaker 1: The hospital he had only too bad. It wasn't much 563 00:36:57,480 --> 00:37:01,279 Speaker 1: going on. And then and when I all that, I 564 00:37:01,600 --> 00:37:04,640 Speaker 1: came out of that room crime because the first thing 565 00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:07,520 Speaker 1: I thought about, I put myself from that situation and 566 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:12,440 Speaker 1: those parents. Let's keep parents situations happing my kids, Thank 567 00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:15,880 Speaker 1: god they were healthy. But I just wore the shoes 568 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:20,920 Speaker 1: for two minutes and and and it feel horrible. So 569 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:24,440 Speaker 1: I remember walking out of that room. I promised him 570 00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:27,080 Speaker 1: that I was gonna be back. And I came into 571 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:30,520 Speaker 1: the country during the season and I did so many 572 00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:33,640 Speaker 1: different things, activities and stuff like that. And I remember 573 00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:40,880 Speaker 1: I raised like two underground. So I went back to 574 00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:45,360 Speaker 1: the hospital and donate that money. But my team and 575 00:37:45,480 --> 00:37:48,319 Speaker 1: my advisor, they told me the best way to do 576 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:52,160 Speaker 1: it is building up a foundation. And that's exactly what 577 00:37:52,239 --> 00:37:55,239 Speaker 1: we did. We build the foundation. We started doing it. 578 00:37:55,320 --> 00:38:00,279 Speaker 1: Then we started doing things and slowly and now we 579 00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:05,440 Speaker 1: can say that more than ten tho kids have benefited 580 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:12,600 Speaker 1: themselves from that foundation. And over I would say, kids, hi, God, 581 00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:16,319 Speaker 1: get their surgery done. And it's a it's a game 582 00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:19,560 Speaker 1: changer for their family because I see when most of 583 00:38:19,560 --> 00:38:22,080 Speaker 1: the kids that come into the foundation, they come from 584 00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:27,920 Speaker 1: single mom and this hard problem they can being dependent 585 00:38:28,120 --> 00:38:29,839 Speaker 1: their mom have to be on top of and all 586 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:33,239 Speaker 1: the time, because you know, it's very critical. They a 587 00:38:33,280 --> 00:38:37,680 Speaker 1: lot of them die from the heart problem. And uh, 588 00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:42,239 Speaker 1: once we get their surgery done. A couple of months later, 589 00:38:42,360 --> 00:38:45,799 Speaker 1: you can see mom coming in more taking care of 590 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:49,400 Speaker 1: herself with a new job. Because the kids start being independent, 591 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:53,200 Speaker 1: you know, they start doing their own activity as a kid. 592 00:38:54,120 --> 00:38:57,759 Speaker 1: More happiness, it's it's I'm very proud. I think I'm 593 00:38:57,760 --> 00:39:01,200 Speaker 1: more proud of doing that thing then thing. All the 594 00:39:01,239 --> 00:39:02,840 Speaker 1: home druns that I hear, I think this time, my 595 00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:05,560 Speaker 1: really home run is suppressing, because well, that's life is 596 00:39:05,600 --> 00:39:07,840 Speaker 1: all about. You're gonna hit a lot more with that. 597 00:39:08,360 --> 00:39:11,719 Speaker 1: I was thrilled when I saw what you did. I 598 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:14,920 Speaker 1: can't thank you enough. Well, I could keep you here 599 00:39:15,040 --> 00:39:18,359 Speaker 1: tomorrow morning. I've had a wonderful time. I think that 600 00:39:19,120 --> 00:39:22,359 Speaker 1: you know what it's all said and done. If you've 601 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:25,040 Speaker 1: been lucky, and you've been lucky, and I've been lucky, 602 00:39:25,719 --> 00:39:29,279 Speaker 1: what you really want is for every kid to have 603 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:31,560 Speaker 1: a chance to live whatever the best life that he 604 00:39:31,640 --> 00:39:36,239 Speaker 1: or she can live is. Yes, it is, it is. 605 00:39:37,480 --> 00:39:41,040 Speaker 1: I'm blessing enough to have a good kid. My kids 606 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:46,600 Speaker 1: they are just let me, happy people, very humble. They 607 00:39:46,600 --> 00:39:51,000 Speaker 1: don't act like they have anything, but I guess is 608 00:39:51,080 --> 00:39:55,040 Speaker 1: because of the way you raise them. That is very important. 609 00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:57,719 Speaker 1: I always emphasize on that, especially when you when I'm 610 00:39:57,719 --> 00:40:00,200 Speaker 1: talking to the youth. You know you got I know 611 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:03,720 Speaker 1: that your mom and dad they are your best friends 612 00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:07,360 Speaker 1: and they always gonna be there for you and the 613 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:10,000 Speaker 1: ups and down, and you need to pay attention to 614 00:40:10,640 --> 00:40:13,320 Speaker 1: what they had to say. The longest you pay attention 615 00:40:13,360 --> 00:40:16,279 Speaker 1: to what they had to say, your future gonna be 616 00:40:16,360 --> 00:40:18,719 Speaker 1: brian because they're always gonna want the best for you. 617 00:40:19,880 --> 00:40:24,000 Speaker 1: David Ortie is the whole world admires you and everybody 618 00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:29,560 Speaker 1: that ever thrilled little baseball game, which is every baseball player, 619 00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:31,759 Speaker 1: love the game and treated it with the great care 620 00:40:31,880 --> 00:40:36,480 Speaker 1: you have. We thank you for this time, and I 621 00:40:36,520 --> 00:40:38,279 Speaker 1: hope at least to some more good things, and I 622 00:40:38,280 --> 00:40:41,359 Speaker 1: hope some more people will send some money to your 623 00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:44,879 Speaker 1: foundation so you can help more kids. Thank you very much. 624 00:40:44,920 --> 00:40:48,680 Speaker 1: Misuppressing what's the honor of being the postcast. I haven't 625 00:40:48,680 --> 00:40:52,080 Speaker 1: seen you in a minute, and Uh, I'm so glad 626 00:40:52,160 --> 00:40:56,680 Speaker 1: that I everything went google you doing this, uh Kobe time, 627 00:40:57,200 --> 00:41:00,560 Speaker 1: because you know that was that was something that care 628 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:03,839 Speaker 1: all of us. I think I got better than guy. 629 00:41:03,880 --> 00:41:06,920 Speaker 1: We have been through it. We gotta continue paying attention 630 00:41:06,960 --> 00:41:10,399 Speaker 1: to it, but I'm so glad to see you doing well, 631 00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:14,759 Speaker 1: you and your family, and uh I can wait to 632 00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:20,359 Speaker 1: see you soon. Thank you. I can't wait either. Why 633 00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:22,520 Speaker 1: am I telling you? This is a production of My 634 00:41:22,680 --> 00:41:26,279 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, the Clinton Foundation and at Will Medium. Our 635 00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:30,480 Speaker 1: executive producers are Craig Menascian and Will Manadi. Our production 636 00:41:30,560 --> 00:41:35,000 Speaker 1: team includes Jamison Katsufas, Tom Galton, Sir Harowitz, and Jake Young, 637 00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:40,040 Speaker 1: with production support from Liz Rafferee and Josh Farnham. Original 638 00:41:40,120 --> 00:41:44,200 Speaker 1: music by Wat White. Special thanks to John Sykes, John 639 00:41:44,239 --> 00:41:48,720 Speaker 1: Davidson on hell Orina, Corey Ginstley, Kevin thurm, Oscar Flores, 640 00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:57,399 Speaker 1: and all our dedicated staff and partners at the Clinton Foundation. Hi, 641 00:41:57,560 --> 00:42:00,080 Speaker 1: I'm back at Courtsield and I'm a deputy Director the 642 00:42:00,080 --> 00:42:04,200 Speaker 1: Clinton Global Initiative. President Clinton established the Clinton Global Initiative 643 00:42:04,239 --> 00:42:06,960 Speaker 1: to create a new kind of philanthropic community to address 644 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:10,560 Speaker 1: the complex realities of our modern world, where problem solving 645 00:42:10,600 --> 00:42:14,440 Speaker 1: required the active partnership of government, business, and civil society. 646 00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:17,560 Speaker 1: Over the years, are proven model has grown to include 647 00:42:17,560 --> 00:42:20,640 Speaker 1: action networks that can quickly mobilize in the phase of emergencies, 648 00:42:20,880 --> 00:42:23,440 Speaker 1: whether that's helping Puerto Rico and the Caribbean recover in 649 00:42:23,480 --> 00:42:26,440 Speaker 1: the wake of Hurricanes Rma and Maria. Or Advancing an 650 00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:30,520 Speaker 1: Inclusive US Economic Recovery amid COVID nineteen. To learn more 651 00:42:30,560 --> 00:42:32,560 Speaker 1: about this work and see how you can get involved, 652 00:42:32,680 --> 00:42:35,520 Speaker 1: visit Clinton Foundation dot org. Slash podcast