Ortiz says he wants standing ovation in the Bronx

Photo Credit: Winslow Towson/AP

David Ortiz is retiring at the end of the season, and he'll more than likely get a farewell tour. That means teams doing special tributes and gifts the last time he takes the field at every park. But the one thing Ortiz really wants? A standing ovation from Yankees fans the last time he visits the Bronx.

Per NJ.com:

"You know what I want most of all?'' Ortiz said. "I would love it if the fans at Yankee Stadium gave me a standing ovation.

Ortiz has been tormenting the Yankees for over a decade. In 224 regular season games he's hit .306 with 47 home runs. In 2004, he had several late-inning hits that powered Boston to an improbable 3-0 series comeback win against New York in the American League Championship Series. The Sox then won the World Series that year.

"The Yankees were the team to beat back then,'' Ortiz told Kernan. "Being able to do what we did was something that was very special. It was career-lifting for me. People get to know you better, focus on you a little more. If you continue to be successful, you can build a career out of it.''

Personally, I think it seems a little much. I love the guy, but you never saw Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter asking for ovations from Red Sox fans. Whether the Yankees fans oblige or not is up to them, but I won't hold it against them if they decide not to. It does seem like a bit much to ask for. Bad enough these farewell tours are the new thing with retiring players - I tend to think that they already draw too much attention to these guys and seem somewhat egotistical themselves- but even more so when a guy says "This is what I'd like to see from fans of a rival team."

That's my personal feeling, though.

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