Massachusetts’ legislative leadership is moving to name a bridge in honor of retiring Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz.
The House of Representatives has approved a supplemental budget that includes language that would rename the Brookline Avenue Bridge the David Ortiz (Big Papi) Bridge.
“We live in a very interesting city. A city that is very proud of its sports and a city that’s very proud of its tradition and I think that David was emblematic of the best of both,” House Speaker Robert DeLeo told WGBH News Thursday.
Lawmakers rarely move as swiftly with the routine business of the state as they did to name the bridge after Ortiz.
“We don’t get a whole lot of things that can easily be pushed through, where everyone agrees on it,” DeLeo said. “But this was just one of those times when we did because of the respect and admiration that all of us have for David Ortiz.”
DeLeo said it was Gov. Charlie Baker who initially mentioned the idea at the weekly leadership meeting between Baker, DeLeo and Senate President Stan Rosenberg, and the legislative leaders quickly agreed to the tribute.
DeLeo said there’s a chance to bring Ortiz to the State House for a celebration of his career when the slugger is available.
Asked if his admiration for Ortiz extended to another former Red Sox star, Curt Schilling, DeLeo was less enthusiastic about the pitcher’s contributions away from the mound.
“Off the field, I refer to him as Trump 2,” DeLeo said.
Schilling, a conservative who’s never been shy about his political beliefs, is toying with the idea of challenging U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren in 2018. When asked if being “Trump 2” could lead to the same level of success Trump 1 is currently seeing in the presidential race, DeLeo clarified.
“Well, if that’s giving him too much too much credit, let me take that back,” the speaker said. “I see him as the same type as Trump.”
“I appreciate what he did on the field. Do I want him as my United States senator? No,” DeLeo said.
The bridge spans the Massachusetts Turnpike between Landsdowne Street and Newbury Street, near Fenway Park.
Ortiz is in his final season with the playoff-bound Red Sox.
Lawmakers say the honor would recognize his accomplishments on and off the field. They note his charitable work on behalf of children in New England and his native Dominican Republic and his efforts after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing to help the city heal.
The House passed the bill during an informal session on Thursday. The bill now goes to the Senate.
