Former Red Sox Player Returns To Fenway Park As Dodgers Hitting Coach
BOSTON (CBS) -- For decades, the business of baseball has connected ball clubs. And this series is no exception. From Pedro to Manny and even Dave Roberts -- several former players have donned the 'Dodger Blue.'
Luis Ortiz is one of them, he debuted with the Red Sox. "It brings back a lot of memories. A lot of what ifs, what if I stayed," said Ortiz. "In my debut, [Roger] Clemens was starting my first game ever. It was a little nerve-wracking."
You can now find the 48-year-old, who happens to be WBZ-TV's Anaridis Rodriguez's uncle, behind the batter's box as a hitting coach for Los Angeles.
"I went to a little school in Tennessee, coming from the Dominican. [I] got drafted in 1991 in the 8th round. I didn't think the Red Sox were gonna do it," said Ortiz outside Fenway Park, ahead of Game One of the World Series.
Ortiz played two seasons before he was traded to the Texas Rangers where he retired from major league play. His career was marked with injuries and four surgeries. He's now been coaching for ten years.
This is his first season as a Dodger and also his first time back at Fenway in more than two decades.
Ahead of Game One, he said he's grateful. "It's been a journey. But every piece you look back it put me to where I'm at today. It's gonna be so much fun. You have the storied franchises playing, west coast, east coast. It's gonna be so neat for baseball," Ortiz said.
