I certainly regret that we haven't benefited from all that he can bring to a ballclub and to an organization, and I admire his career. Terry Ryan, Twins general manager 1994-2007, 2011-present: I made a mistake. They didn't even let me be a free agent after the season. So they made the poor decision of releasing me. In 2002, when they let me go, I hit 20 homers and had 75 RBI and I barely played. It seemed like they didn't know what to do with me. We had a hard time putting it together for a period of time.ĭavid Ortiz: The way they did me over there I never understood what was going on. We just couldn't get that consistency from him. But he could go over there and pick you up for a day if you got stuck. I don't know if you wanted to live with it on a consistent basis. I always felt he was OK for a day or two over there. Tom Kelly: He kept working at first base, trying to be a total complete player. JIM MONE/Associated Press/Associated Press/Associated Press What size are you, anyway?" And he says, "What size are you?" I go, "I'm a 10 ½ right now." He goes, "Damn-I wear from nine to 11." No wonder why he's got two left knees! He wore any size.įormer Twins manager Tom Kelly. I said, "I got a pitching toe on my spikes. You know how David has two left feet, right? He comes up one day and says, "You got any extra shoes I can wear? Mine are all messed up." Spikes. They remain close today.Įddie Guardado, former closer, Twins teammate 1997-2002: Me and Hawk were by our lockers in the Metrodome. Ortiz was part of a close group of core prospects in those years with the Twins, guys such as LaTroy Hawkins, Eddie Guardado, Corey Koskie, Doug Mientkiewicz, Matt Lawton and others who came of age together. He was just starting to get it, and then he got derailed again. He was out for however long it was and started over again. And then he was shaking his hand again, and the next at-bat he couldn't swing. He took his next at-bat and hit another home run. You go, " Oh my God." Then he comes back and he was shaking his hand. But the day in Kansas City when he broke the hamate, he hit a home run as good as you can hit it. He used to get mad because I used to holler at him, "Left field!" It was always pull, pull, pull with him. He was having trouble getting some consistency going. But the biggest problem for David, the first few years here he got hurt. Obviously, you knew he had power, that's an understatement. Tom Kelly, Twins manager 1986-2001: He was green. I just went down to Triple-A and did what I was supposed to do. I think the way they used to make decisions was wrong, but you can't complain to Tom Kelly about anything because he was the one who ran the show. Seems like he's been hot ever since.ĭavid Ortiz: I knew I belonged in the big leagues. Then he went to Boston, didn't start off too hot and almost got released there. In 2000 he had a decent year and then hit some homers the next couple of years, and then it was either sign him back for a couple of million, I guess it was at the time, or sign Doug Mientkiewicz and Matt LeCroy, and that's what they did. He righted the ship and eventually went back up there. Jacque Jones: I just remember him not being happy about it, him pressing and getting off to a slow start. He wasn't called back to the majors until that September. It was crazy, but it was funny.Īfter being cut that spring, once the tears dried, Ortiz spent almost all of 1999 at Triple-A Salt Lake. And at same time, I was learning how to speak the language. I used to let the ball get too deep and foul balls off of my feet all the time, off my toes. I remember when that happened I was just hurting. For all of us coming from a different place, it's a learning process. It was hilarious.ĭavid Ortiz: I was a couple years in the country. My big finger." The trainer says, "That's your toe!" He comes back to the dugout, and everyone is cracking up. "Dude, what's wrong? You OK?" And he says, "I fouled a ball off of my f-king finger!" And the trainer goes, "Finger?" And he says, "Yeah, yeah, my finger right here. He's jumping around, falls down and the trainer comes out. I remember one night he fouled a ball off of his foot in the batter's box. Jacque Jones, Nationals assistant hitting coach, Twins teammate 1999-2002: His English wasn't very good, so some things he said were more funny than he meant them to be.
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