The Boston Red Sox's honorary godfather is making the rounds again.
Retired slugger David Ortiz showed up at the Red Sox's spring training facility Friday to greet old friends and teammates, who apparently were happy to see him.
Big Papi also posted a message to "Boston Nation" on his Instagram story from JetBlue Park, telling fans he'd be traveling with the Sox to the Minnesota Twins' complex in Fort Myers for Friday's spring training game.
Ortiz even will be in the Red Sox's dugout for Boston's contest against his other former team -- as an observer, of course.
Ortiz has stayed close to the Red Sox since retiring in 2016, making spring training appearances in each of the last two seasons. He's officially listed as a "special assistant" in Boston's front office along with Pedro Martinez and Tim Wakefield, and the Red Sox said upon his retirement they would have a role open for him if he wanted to join the coaching staff.
The 43-year-old is a busy man -- he's a part-time MLB analyst for FOX Sports and has several active business ventures -- so don't expect to see him in Boston's clubhouse every day. But Big Papi always provides a morale boost when he's in town, and it appears Friday was no exception.
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