Indians manager Francona: Ortiz ‘a very special person’
CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona says David Ortiz is “a very special person, not just to me, but to a lot of people.”
Francona managed Ortiz with the Red Sox from 2004-11, a stretch that included two of the three World Series titles Ortiz won with Boston.
Ortiz was shot in the torso Sunday night in his native Dominican Republic. Doctors performed surgery and Ortiz was transported to Boston in an air ambulance Monday night. Once in Boston, he underwent two hours of exploratory surgery.
Francona says he spoke Tuesday to one of the doctors who’s treating Ortiz in Boston and said the retired slugger is “in great hands.”
The veteran manager says Ortiz “could light up a room” with his personality but also worked hard at his craft and was a team leader.
