Red Sox legend David Ortiz may have had a hand in this week’s momentum from the Los Angeles Dodgers playoff run. With the Padres in better health and performance, LA proved over 80% of experts wrong by moving on to the NLCS. After exceeding 1 billion dollars on players this year, the Los Angeles Dodgers have had something to prove all season. One of the most talented players in baseball, Mookie Betts has had an o-of-22 playoff drought. How did two former Red Sox stars create momentum for the playoff position of the Dodgers?
- Sep 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Hall of Famer and former Boston Red Sox David Ortiz at Fenway Park before a game against the Chicago White Sox. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
Red Sox Playoff Experience Aids Dodgers
David Ortiz has always performed well during postseason play, finishing his career with a .289 batting average, 17 home runs, 88 hits 61 RBI, and 51 runs scored out of 85 playoff games for the Boston Red Sox. Ortiz flourished under the pressure of the playoffs and helped bring home championships for the Red Sox three times. Known for his infectious smile and record-breaking power-hitting, Ortiz knew how to create momentum in the postseason.
Since Mookie Betts left the Red Sox in 2020 only to be traded to the Dodgers, a trade Red Sox Nation still resents to this day, he and David Ortiz have remained close. “Even though I wasn’t really ready for (the trade to the Dodgers) — I know people don’t believe me but I wanted to stay in Boston my whole career,” Betts shared with former teammate Brock Holt, according to MassLive. “That was my life. I knew everybody there.” A large reason for Betts wanting to remain a Red Sox was due to the bond he had formed with Ortiz.
Ortiz Helps Mookie Create Momentum
Walking into this week Dodgers Outfielder Mookie Betts had an 0-of-22 playoff slump. As a professional athlete, carrying this staggering statistic around as your own could feel like a major obstacle that must be overcome. But how exactly? With the pressure on Mookie to break his zero-hit streak, Red Sox legend David Ortiz had some words of wisdom for his old friend.
“It’s not mechanically, it might be mentally. So now, Mook-dawg, listen to your boy right here,” Ortiz said on FOX Sports’ pregame show. “If I’m your hitting coach right now, I would not worry about anything mechanically. I would worry about putting the smile that you put on your face. That smile that pisses people off, the opposition.
“The smile that you use to beat people up because that smile means that you are having fun. And when you are having fun playing the game, everything comes natural to you. You know why? Because this kid is one of the hardest-working kids in baseball. That’s why he’s so good. Let’s go, man! I’m cheering for you. My dawg, let’s go!”
Important Advice
Just a smile was the secret Ortiz gave Mookie Betts, proving the mental game of baseball is just as important as the physical game. Betts took that advice and had a home run in Game 3 and Game 4, breaking his cold streak. This ultimately aided in the defeat of the Padres in five games for the National League Division Series. On Friday with Fox News Betts said, “I was down, really down, and he gave me words of encouragement. Told me things were going to be cool.”
Mookie Betts and David Ortiz began their friendship in 2014, this ten-year relationship has proven wildly impactful as this mentorship has helped shape the player Betts is today. Betts refers to Ortiz as his “Big Bro” in a postgame exchange where he presented Ortiz with a shirt featuring Ortiz reading “My Dawg,” Betts expressing his gratitude for this beautifully built mentorship the two have developed over time.
Red Sox Bond Influences Dodger Playoff Win
Everyone needs a mentor on the path of life, never mind young professional athletes. In the wake of the Padres being sent home this week, a bond indescribable by any media attention played a major role in the momentum the Dodgers created in their series win. Mookie Betts and David Ortiz showed fans and players alike that it isn’t always about physicality. Rather, it is the belief in yourself as a player to enjoy where you are and what you were meant to do. Which is to be the best player you can be on and off the field, with heart and passion for the love of America’s greatest pastime, Major League Baseball.
