Donning his iconic No. 34 jersey, just moments after the number was retired into Red Sox lore on the right-field facade at Fenway Park, David Ortiz wiped away tears as stood at a podium in the middle of the infield.
"Papi! Papi! Papi!" chants roared across the ballpark as Ortiz stood at the mic, with friends, family and former teammates in tow.
It was one more moment -- and an emotional one -- for the Red Sox legend who made a living out of them.
"Yes, he is Big Papi, but I feel like grandpa," Pedro Martinez -- who first recommend the Sox sign Ortiz in 2003 -- joked to the crowd, before handing off the mic to Dustin Pedroia.