'Get Well Soon, Papi': Former President Obama Wishes David Ortiz A Speedy Recovery
BOSTON (CBS/AP) – Former President Barack Obama is among those sending well-wishes to David Ortiz after the Red Sox legend was shot in the Dominican Republic on Sunday.
"Six years ago, David Ortiz's spirt and resolve helped us all begin to heal from the Boston Marathon bombing," Obama tweeted Monday. "Get well soon, Papi."
Ortiz took the microphone for an impromptu speech to the Fenway Park crowd as Boston played its first home game after the 2013 bombings.
"This is our (expletive) city," Ortiz told the crowd in a speech that was carried live on television locally and nationally. "And nobody's going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong."
Obama later said it was "probably the only time that America didn't have a problem with cursing on live TV."
Ortiz led the Red Sox to a World Series title in 2013, and presented the former president with his own jersey at a White House ceremony.
Authorities said Ortiz was shot in an ambush at a Santo Domingo bar Sunday night. He was rushed into surgery overnight and is expected to recover, but there are reports he may have some organ damage.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
