D'Angelo Ortiz, Son Of David Ortiz, Aiming For Big League Career -- Perhaps Even With Red Sox

BOSTON (CBS) -- When it comes to facing some extreme expectations, it doesn't get much higher than trying to follow in the footsteps of David Ortiz.

D'Angelo Ortiz, though, is unaffected.

The 17-year-old corner infielder is in the midst of his junior season at Westminster Christian School in Florida, and he spoke to MLB.com's Ian Browne. D'Angelo made it very clear that he intends on reaching the highest level of the sport.

"I want to be the best one on that list," Ortiz told Browne regarding the five MLB players who played at his high school -- a list that includes one Alex Rodriguez. "That's how I've thought since the first day that I came here -- and it's not something to just talk about. It's a grind every day that you see that wall and it makes you want to work harder. To know that this is a school that, if you do what you need to do, you can go somewhere, that's motivating in itself."

In the story, David inconspicuously sat behind the backstop to watch D'Angelo play. But the all-time Red Sox great seems intent on not casting too long a shadow for his son's own career.

"D is taking this very serious. I'm telling you that, right now. He wants it. I'm not putting any pressure on him," David Ortiz told Browne. "What I want him to do is educate himself. It's not like I'm putting him against the ropes. The one thing that me and Tiff want is for him to educate himself, get good grades and we support him on the baseball thing. He doesn't need to be pushed. That's what I'm trying to tell you. He's pushing himself."

Red Sox fans will surely remember D'Angelo, as he essentially grew up in Fenway Park alongside his dad. While D'Angelo is focused on becoming a professional baseball player, he took a moment to consider what it would be like to one day show up to work at Fenway.

"I would love it," D'Angelo said of possibly one day playing for Boston. "I think that just growing up in Boston, that motivates me like nothing else. I love Boston, too. And I love the city. I can't ask where to go. I just ask to be picked up eventually. But Boston is somewhere that it's in the back of my mind. I love that city."

For David, that kind of storybook twist for his son's career would be delightful.

"I would love to [see it]," David told Browne. "I would love it, to be honest with you. That would be like a dream come true. Could you imagine?"

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• MLB
• David Ortiz
• Boston Red Sox