It’s rare to see fans at a Major League Baseball game stand up and cheer for a stolen base. But on Sunday, the fans at Fenway Park had good reason.
In the bottom of the seventh inning of the series finale of the Red Sox and Mariners, Boston designated hitter David Ortiz managed to steal second. What was most amazing was the fact that Ortiz made it to second before the catcher could even throw it down to second base.
The stolen base was Ortiz’s second of the season and his second since 2013. Big Papi shocked the Toronto Blue Jays when he stole second in April. MLB.com said that Ortiz reached 16.4 miles per hour in his first steal of 2016.
Speed demon, @davidortiz! https://t.co/Jb16FVRfda
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 16, 2016
To no one’s surprise, Ortiz has not made a habit of stealing bases in his 20-year career. His career-high for a season is four, which came back in 2013.
While Ortiz’s steal didn’t matter much in grand scheme of the game — he ended up not scoring — it’s another sign that Ortiz is having a good time in his 2016 farewell tour.
