FORT MYERS, Fla. -- A few days ago, as the Boston Red Sox took batting practice before an exhibition game, Xander Bogaerts launched a ball that seemed to scrape the sky on its way toward the faux Green Monster at JetBlue Park. Waiting his turn at the side of the batting cage, David Ortiz raised both arms and howled.
The face of the franchise was saluting his successor.
There’s an undeniable passing of the torch taking place in Red Sox camp this spring. Ortiz, the iconic slugger and last remaining link between all three of Boston’s World Series championships since 2004, intends to retire at season’s end, just as 23-year-old stars-in-waiting Bogaerts and Mookie Betts are beginning to realize their potential as not only the team’s best players, but also its future leaders.