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David Ortiz: Red Sox Slugger Takes ‘Big Papi Selfie’ With President At White House Visit

By Jonathan Vankin
Published on: 07:11 PST, Apr 1, 2014

David Ortiz, the Boston Red Sox designated hitter whose torrid bat led the team to a 2013 World Series victory over the St. Louis Cardinals last October, took full advantage of the tradition White House visit for the World Series champs, snapping a “selfie” with President Barack Obama.

The charming moment came after Obama delivered a nine-minute homage to the Red Sox, with the team gathered behind the presidential podium on the White House South Lawn.

After Obama finished his speech, David Ortiz — a beloved figure in Boston, known by the nickname “Big Papi” — presented the president with a commemorative Red Sox jersey, featuring the number 44 and the name “Obama” across the back.

As Ortiz explained, the number 44 was in honor if the fact that Obama is the U.S.A.’s 44th president.

But when Obama maneuvered them into place where the assembled press corps could get a good picture, David Ortiz reached into the pocket of his blazer and produced a smart phone.

“Do you mind if I take my own?” Ortiz asked the president.

“Oh, he wants to do a selfie!” said Obama. “It’s the Big Papi selfie. Come on.”

As Ortiz and Obama leaned in, the Dominican-born slugger who batted a scorching.668 in last year’s World Series, banging out 11 hits in 16 at bats, extended his arm upward and snapped the historic selfie — which he posted to his Twitter account just a couple of hours later.

Red Sox outfielder Jonny Gomes also made a kind of history by showing up at the White House clad in a sportcoat that seemed to be made out of an American flag. Ortiz earlier tweeted an approving shot of himself with Gomes in the Stars-and-Stripes jacket.

Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli — who had the honor of having his name mispronounced by the president as “Na-POH-li” — is to the right in that picture.

Gomes later said that Obama got a kick out of the ultra-patriotic attire.

“He approved,” said the 33-year-old Gomes who played for four other teams before coming to Boston and winning his first World Series in 2013. “He made sure to tell me he liked it. He thanked me for his and the team signing it. He definitely approved. He made sure to look me right in the eye and said, ‘Nice jacket'”

Boston Globe sportswriter Peter Abraham also captured the Gomes jacket.

Jenny Dell, a TV reporter for the Red Sox-owned NESN sports channel and who dates Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks, tweeted a montage of photos from the White House.

In his remarks, Obama praised the Red Sox for their “worst to first” World Series victory, but spent most of the speech recounting how, following the Boston Marathon bombing, the 2013 Red Sox “symbolized the grit and resilience of one of America’s iconic cities in one of its difficult moments.”

Obama called the Red Sox World Series victory “therapeutic medicine for the whole city.” Check out video of the David Ortiz “selfie” moment with the president, below.

Image via Twitter @JoeGiza

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