When former Red Sox star David Ortiz had close encounter with terror in 2013 Boston Marathon bombing
In April 2016, former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz recalled his close encounter with terror after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing shook the city at its core.
The Boston Marathon bombing was a terrorist attack that occurred on April 15, 2013, when two bombs were detonated near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The attack killed three people and injured over 260 others.
Unlike the other Red Sox players who left town soon after the bombings, Ortiz remained in the area to heal his lingering Achilles injury. As he observed the destruction, panic and distress that took over the city from his home in the upscale Weston suburb, he was left shell-shocked.
"I was pissed, bro. I'm not going to lie to you," Ortiz recalled.
He added:
"I was mad. How can it be possible that people do something like that? Especially in America, you know what I'm saying? I was mad. I was super angry."
The perpetrators of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing were two brothers, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev. They were later found to have been motivated by extremist Islamic beliefs.
The brothers were also found to have been inspired by the online publication of Al-Qaeda's Inspire magazine. The Tsarnaev brothers were later captured by law enforcement, and Dzhokhar was subsequently convicted and sentenced to death.
David Ortiz's powerful speech at Fenway Park after 2013 Boston Marathon bombing
Boston Red Sox veteran David Ortiz impactful speech in the first game at Fenway Park after the Boston Marathon bombing is a still afresh in MLB fans' memories.
"This jersey that we wear today, doesn’t say Red Sox. It says Boston. We want to thank you, Mayor Menino, Governor Patrick, the whole Police Department for the great job that they did this past week. This is our f***ing city. And nobody’s gonna dictate our freedom. Stay strong," Ortiz said to a Fenway Park crowd after a memorial service for Boston Marathon bombing victims on April 20.
Ten years later, he still reminisces the impact of his speech. In 2013, Boston Red Sox won the World Series - their first title at home in 95 years.