David Ortiz’s “Papi: My Story” Having Fun in Minor Leagues

Funny story from David Ortiz’s book “Papi: My Story.” Well before his days slugging for the Boston Red Sox he played in some places where only friends and family would come to watch. The players, like 18 year-old Ortiz from the Dominican Republic, were a long way from home, and the games were too hot or too cold to draw an audience.

At the hotel the team lived in, there was a soda machine, and as Ortiz tells it, one of the Dominican guys tried to get a Coke. He put in the money but needed another 10 cents. The word dime flashed across the tiny screen in red letters. Dime means “tell me” in Spanish. Ortiz continues: “I explained that the machine wanted him to get closer and tell it the drink that he wanted. Fortunately, he believed me. That led to at least 10 minutes of wild entertainment in the desert. He would say in a speaking voice, ‘Coca-Cola.’ And I would tell him that he wasn’t being loud and clear enough. ‘Coca-Cola,’ he would say again, screaming this time.”

“On and on it went. We’d tell him to get louder. We’d tell him to switch the drink. We’d tell him to say it with authority. “Coca-Cola, dammit!” A few of us were dying laughing at this point, even as we continued to tell our friend that he was one good shout away from getting the soda of his choice.”

Baseball icon David Ortiz discusses his new autobiography live on ‘GMA’

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E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy

E.J. Smith is Founder of YourSurvivalGuy.com, Managing Director at Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd., a Managing Editor of Richardcyoung.com, and Editor-in-Chief of Youngresearch.com. His focus at all times is on preparing clients and readers for “Times Like These.” E.J. graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a B.S. in finance and investments. In 1995, E.J. began his investment career at Fidelity Investments in Boston before joining Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd. in 1998. E.J. has trained at Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH. His first drum set was a 5-piece Slingerland with Zildjians. He grew-up worshiping Neil Peart (RIP) of the band Rush, and loves the song Tom Sawyer—the name of his family’s boat, a Grady-White Canyon 306. He grew up in Mattapoisett, MA, an idyllic small town on the water near Cape Cod. He spends time in Newport, RI and Bartlett, NH—both as far away from Wall Street as one could mentally get. The Newport office is on a quiet, tree lined street not far from the harbor and the log cabin in Bartlett, NH, the “Live Free or Die” state, sits on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest. He enjoys spending time in Key West and Paris. Please get in touch with E.J. at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com To sign up for my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter, click here.