The Red Sox are in the dog days of July, going into August. Obviously, we all know that they are trying to push for a playoff spot for a chance to repeat as World Series champions. They took a good step forward by defeating the Yankees three out of four games this past weekend at Fenway Park. But what might have been forgotten about with the rivalry taking center stage is a tidbit of great news. It was reported the other day that David Ortiz has been officially released from the hospital.
The Ortiz news is good for a few reasons.
He’s Healthy!
This is the most obvious statement there is regarding Ortiz. He is healthy enough where he is now out of the hospital and home. He’s not 100%, but he’s good enough where he is able to post on social media.
It is definitely tough to recover from a shooting. David Ortiz is not superman, he is only human after all. Sure, we are used to seeing him doing Herculean type of things, where our mouths hit the floor in awe. The clutch hitting in 2004, and the unreal run he went on in the 2013 World Series are only a few examples of that. People thought originally that Ortiz might not have made it out of the hospital alive. After all, there were reports saying Ortiz told the doctors the night of the shooting, “Please don’t let me die, I’m a good man!” So the fact that Ortiz is back on Instagram and putting out statements definitely is an exhale for all of Red Sox nation.
This Could Be Extra Motivation For The Red Sox
It sounds crazy, but the current Red Sox could use what happened to Ortiz as motivation. The 2013 Red Sox had the Boston Marathon bombings that was their motivation to show what type of city Boston is: a city of unity. This can be another case of unity. Granted, in 2013 lives were lost, and there were no lives lost in Ortiz’s case. But great teams need something to inspire them throughout the grueling 162 game regular season. Remember, some of the guys on that Red Sox team played with Ortiz before he retired after the 2016 season. With this current Red Sox team, it couldn’t hurt having extra motivation of knowing that somebody tried to harm a Red Sox legend.
Red Sox Nation Can Stop Worrying
Red Sox fans like myself can now just focus solely on the team. It is great to have Ortiz recovering like he has been. But now, the focus is all on getting back to the playoffs. Ortiz can recover and watch the Red Sox in the comfort of his own home. We can let Ortiz get back to full strength and hope for the best for this Red Sox team as the trade deadline approaches.
In Conclusion
It is great to see Ortiz not in a hospital bed. He means so much to the Red Sox organization and Red Sox fans worldwide. He won’t be back to 100% right away. But baby steps will get Ortiz back to his old self, and maybe even back to Fenway Park to the roar of the crowd.