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Ortiz expects to get booed during Yankees' farewell ceremony

Maddie Meyer / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Retiring Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz will be honored at a farewell ceremony courtesy of the New York Yankees on Sept. 29 at Yankee Stadium, and Big Papi is already bracing himself for an unpleasant reception.

"I am definitely getting booed. I am ready for that," Ortiz told ESPN's Scott Lauber on Friday before the Red Sox and Yankees played at Fenway Park. "When I get booed at Yankee Stadium, it's not like it's new to me, you know what I'm saying? But I'm always going to respect Yankee fans."

On Thursday, the Yankees announced they'd honor the 40-year-old Red Sox DH in a pre-game ceremony. Ortiz has hit a remarkable .307/.397/.575 with 53 home runs and 169 RBIs against the Yankees in his career.

Ortiz has been a constant thorn in the Yankees' side during his tenure in Beantown, which includes a memorable two-run home run in the 12th inning of Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS.

His jersey was also buried by a construction worker - and Red Sox fan - at the site of new Yankee Stadium in 2008. The fan hoped to curse the stadium with Ortiz' jersey.

Despite being a public enemy of the Yankees, Ortiz still admires the franchise's passionate fans, who he says have never been anything but real with him.

"Yankee fans, believe it or not, are the only fans that come to me straight-up and tell me, 'Hey, I'm a Yankee fan, but I respect you.' And I respect that," Ortiz explained. "Whenever I go to New York and I have to take time taking pictures and signing autographs for the Yankee fans, I don't mind because baseball is a big family and it's not all about who you are a fanatic about. Part of you wants to be missed by your rival, right?

"You don't get to be respected just because. You've got to earn that, just like Jeter did, just like Mariano did. It's that one part of us that, the time and the history, everything behind that's brought this to the table. I really appreciate the time (the Yankees) are taking to do this."

Ortiz is in the midst of an incredible final season, hitting .317/.402/.629 with 34 home runs and 114 RBIs, entering Friday.

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