Pedro Martinez couldn’t hold back his love and admiration for David Ortiz.
On Monday night, the MLB Hall of Famer who works as an analyst for MLB Network, was asked about Ortiz, his close friend and former Boston Red Sox teammate being shot in the back in his hometown.
Martinez, a fellow native of the Dominican Republic, couldn’t contain his emotions and cried live on the air as he spoke about his good friend.
“I don’t have enough words to describe who David is, what David means to baseball,” Martinez said. “But I’m so disappointed to know that someone like David, who saved so many lives, can have someone after his life. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry. But it hurts me. It hurts me.”
The 43-year-old Ortiz was simply in a club in Santo Domingo when he suddenly got ambushed from behind and senselessly shot in the back where the bullet would come out of his stomach.
He underwent a 6-hour surgery, and after responding positively to the surgery, he would be transported from the Dominican Republic to Boston on Monday, courtesy of the Red Sox.
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From ESPN:
Ortiz is currently still in intensive care, and will be closely monitored for the next 24-48 hours, during which visits will be limited. Doctors have said that they expect a full recovery. Ortiz has also been alert and has talked to his family; spokesperson Leo López added “he even flashed that smile.”
Dominican police say Ortiz was shot by 25-year-old Eddy Feliz Garcia who was later seen being being beaten mercilessly by the locals before officers could get there and arrest him.
“To see someone just want to take his life away in such a coward way, it bothers me. It bothers me deeply,” Martinez said.
