In honor of David Ortiz having his No. 34 retired by the Red Sox, MLB.com and John Hancock are celebrating Big Papi's greatest career moments with the "Papi 10 List," counting down one legendary moment each day leading up to the June 23 pregame ceremony at Fenway Park.
David Ortiz was not only a leader by example for the 2013 World Series champion Red Sox, but he was also a vocal leader in the clubhouse.
One prime example of Big Papi's stature on the Sox came during Game 4 of the World Series against the Cardinals, when he helped rally the team to a stirring comeback victory.
Boston entered a pivotal Game 4 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis trailing in the series, 2-1, after winning Game 1 at Fenway Park.
The Cardinals scored an unearned run in the third inning to get on the board first. Matt Carpenter singled with one out against starter Clay Buchholz, advancing to second on an error by center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury. The next batter, Carlos Beltran, ripped a single to center to score Carpenter.
The Red Sox tied the game in the fifth, when Ortiz led off with a double, advanced to third following consecutive walks to Jonathan Gomes and Xander Bogaerts, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Stephen Drew.
Ortiz was responsible for the only two Red Sox hits through five innings. The Cardinals went down in order in the bottom of the fifth.
The Red Sox made two quick outs to open the sixth before Dustin Pedroia delivered a first-pitch single. As Big Papi strolled from the on-deck circle to the batter's box, the FOX broadcast went to a clip of Ortiz making a speech surrounded by his teammates in the dugout at some point between innings.
"Let's relax and play the game the way we know how," Ortiz is heard telling his team. "We're better than this. Let's loosen up. Let's play the game the way we do."
Ortiz drew a walk on four pitches, and the Cardinals brought in Michael Maness to face Gomes, who lined homer to left-center to give the Red Sox a 4-1 advantage.
Boston held on to win Game 4, 4-2, to even the series. The Sox kept the momentum rolling after Big Papi's rallying cry and went on to win the Fall Classic in Game 6 for the franchise's third championship with Ortiz.
Ortiz was named the World Series MVP after producing a gaudy .688/.760/1.188 slash line with two doubles, two homers, six RBIs, eight walks (four intentional), one strikeout and 16 runs scored. It would be his final World Series appearance.