Red Sox to Retire David Ortiz's Number in June

David Ortiz, as if his legacy wasn't secure enough, will become a bit more firmly entrenched in immortality in June.

The Red Sox, which had already announced the team would retire Big Papi's No. 34 jersey, said it will take place June 23 at Fenway Park. Boston will host the Los Angeles Angels at 7:10 that Friday night.

It's an appropriate night. One of Ortiz's first clutch postseason moments came at the expense of the Angels. He sent the Red Sox to the ALCS with a walkoff home run. (Of course, he did OK for himself in the 2004 ALCS against New York.)

Ortiz will join other Red Sox legends Bobby Doerr (1), Joe Cronin (4), Johnny Pesky (6), Carl Yastrzemski (8), Ted Williams (9), Jim Rice (14), Wade Boggs (26), and Pedro Martinez (45). Jackie Robinson (42) has his number retired across Major League Baseball.

Ortiz was the central figure in the Red Sox' three World Series championships. He hit 483 home runs with the team, second to only Williams, and is regarded as the greatest clutch player in Red Sox history.

Photo by Keith Allison via Flickr