On Monday night, Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez found the perfect words to capture how all of New England has felt since the news broke Sunday night that David Ortiz had been shot.
While discussing Ortiz's shooting on MLB Network, Martinez got choked up and nearly broke down in tears. Martinez described how emotionally distraught he is that a "coward" would want to take the life away from a man like Ortiz, who has helped so many lives and been nothing but a role model.
"It bothers me deeply," Martinez said, "And I feel for David like a brother, like a family member."
"I don't have enough words to describe who @davidortiz is, what David means to baseball..."
An emotional message from @45PedroMartinez regarding his friend and former @RedSox teammate, David Ortiz. pic.twitter.com/ZqrY08Zs3i — MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 11, 2019
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Martinez and Ortiz were only teammates in Boston for two years, but they've clearly developed a friendship for life. The two retired superstars from the Dominican Republic have 18 All-Star game appearances between them.
As of Monday night, Ortiz was receiving medical attention at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and was in serious but stable condition. The police investigation into the shooting is ongoing in the Dominican Republic.
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