Red Sox sluggers David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez have had a special bond ever since Ramirez was an up and coming prospect within the Red Sox organization. During their time as teammates during the 2016 season the two Dominican Republic natives recently sat down for a conversation with The Players’ Tribune, in which they talked about basically everything. However one part of their conversation recently stood out that involved a particular dessert.
The Following is an excerpt of the conversation:
David: Tell them about the cheesecake, bro.Hanley: Oh no, man. No. This guy is gonna get me in trouble already.David: Hahahaha. Hanley loves his cheesecake, O.K.? Listen — you don’t know how much he loves it. Tell them.Hanley: This guy is so unbelievable. I got a story. So we’re on the road, right? We go out to dinner on the road every night. And I like dessert.David: You don’t like it. Hahahaha. You love it, bro.Hanley: So one night, David says, “What do you want for dessert?” I say, “Cheesecake looks good.” Waiter comes back … grande cheesecake. I crush it. Second night, we go to dinner …David: “What do you want for dessert?”Hanley: “Cheesecake.”David: I’m looking at him like, Really, bro?Hanley: He don’t want me to eat it. He tried to block my cheesecake. He’s trying to keep me in shape so I can play as long as him, I guess. I don’t know. So we get back to Boston, and we’re in the clubhouse getting ready for a game. David comes in all smiling and stuff.David: I say, “Hey, I got a present for you.”Hanley: I say, “For real?David: “For real, bro.”Hanley: He’s holding a big box all wrapped up.David: Like Christmas. Hahahaha.Hanley: I open the box and Boom! — it’s a big cheesecake. This guy stopped at a Cheesecake Factory on his way to Fenway (Park) and got 200 people chasing him on the street just so he could bring me a cheesecake and see the smile on my face. Unbelievable. This story is awesome for a number of reasons, but it turns out Ortiz’s simple gesture actually meant a lot to Ramirez. “My point is, you see this guy hitting 40 homers, batting .300, coming through in the clutch so many times, but he still stops at Cheesecake Factory for me. Just to do it. Just because I like it so much,” Ramirez added. “Man, this guy is like a father figure to me. People don’t understand what he does for young players who come here from the Dominican Republic and all over Latin America.” Big Papi has a reputation as one of the best teammates in baseball, and Ramirez’s anecdote solidifies that status — the 32-year-old first baseman still views Ortiz, eight years his senior, as a “father figure.”
While a story like this may seem silly it speaks volumes to the things that are necessary to keep a team lose during the baseball season. As the Red Sox continue their 2016 season they are very much in the running for a world series crown especially with their young stars including Xander Bogaerts.
