Big Papi might be known best for his big hits — and he sure lived up to the reputation during the Red Sox’s Friday night game against the Yankees — but Boston’s favorite designated hitter has a big heart, too. David Ortiz promised a young boy fighting a chronic disease that he would make a homerun in his honor Friday night, and he did just that, knocking the ball into the Green Monster seats for a two-run lead in the bottom of the 8th inning, securing a 4-2 win for the Sox. Ortiz and former Red Sox player and now sports analyst Kevin Millar sent this video to a 3-year-old Maverick, who identifies as a major Red Sox fan:
This is the video me and @davidortiz sent our little buddy Maverick before Red Sox game tonight…. pic.twitter.com/kVTqSoe8OV
— Kevin Millar (@KMillar15) April 30, 2016
“Hope you’re doing great,” Big Papi tells Maverick. “We love you. Remember that: we, love, you….Always stay positive, keep the faith, alright? You take care buddy. And I’m gonna hit a homer for you tonight, you remember that. For you.” And then, as promised, Ortiz nailed it Friday:
#BigPapi doing Big Papi things! ?https://t.co/qcwo2t4t8T
— Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) April 30, 2016
Not bad, Papi. Not bad at all.
A visibly pleased and extremely cute Maverick replied with a thank you video, posted to Millar’s Twitter timeline later that day.
And this is Maverick video back us @davidortiz after home run 2nite. The man touches lives daily and brings smiles. pic.twitter.com/SPUhx7Hmdq
— Kevin Millar (@KMillar15) April 30, 2016
“It’s something that I would say is just God putting his hands (on me),” Ortiz told WBZ’s Dan Roche. “We all know that it’s not that easy to come through like that, but I’ve been able to get things done like that on a few different occasions. I guess I have been lucky.” Very lucky indeed — this is the third time Ortiz followed through on such a promise, MassLive.com reported. “I was facing a guy that I was 0-for-7 against,” Ortiz told MassLive. “And everybody knows how good (Dellin) Betances has been throughout his career. So when things like that happen, it makes you believe there’s something special out there that we should believe in.”
