David Ortiz Feeling 'A Little Worn Out' Amid Retirement Tour
BOSTON (CBS) -- Through the dog days of August, 40-year-old Red Sox slugger David Ortiz has continued to rake. But all of the attention and demands on the soon-to-be-retired superstar are starting to take their toll.
"Very busy," Ortiz told the Associated Press prior to Sunday night's game at Fenway Park. "Kind of tired of it, a little worn out."
The demands on Ortiz this year are wide-ranging, from participating in pregame ceremonies at ballparks across the country to increased interview requests. He's also been dealing with heel pain that's limited him physically and has required extra treatment every day. It's all making Ortiz feel some regret for announcing prior to the season that it would be his final year playing baseball.
"My job is kind of tiring. Adding more things to it is a lot," he told the AP. "I'm really busy and not getting to enjoy things."
If he is indeed worn out, it's not showing up on the stat sheet. He's currently batting .319, which would be his best average since 2007 and the second-best average of his entire career. With 31 home runs on the year, he's also on pace to hit 38 this year, which would be his highest-single season total since 2006.
He also belted that 31st homer of the season just hours after making the comment about being worn out by the retirement tour.
And he's thriving not just compared to his own history, but compared to the rest of baseball. He leads all of Major League Baseball in slugging percentage, OPS and extra-base hits.
