Ortiz: Yankee Stadium ovation request was a joke

David Ortiz isn't expecting anything in return from fans at Yankee Stadium after all.

As he gears up for his final major-league season, the Boston Red Sox slugger stated in February that he would love nothing more than if fans in the Bronx sent him off with a standing ovation.

Ortiz clarified those comments Wednesday, saying they were made as a joke and he'll accept any reception from a fan base that has booed him relentlessly for more than a decade.

"I was playing around," Ortiz told reporters. "I don't ask for anything. Whatever happens, happens."

He added: "I don't know how that's going to go down. Like I said, I never expect anything from anyone, so whatever happens, I'm cool with."

The two American League East rivals were able to put any bad blood aside two years ago when Derek Jeter made his last trip to Fenway Park. The former Yankee shortstop was honored during a pregame ceremony involving Ortiz. Jeter's afternoon, and career, ended with him walking off the field to a standing ovation after collecting his 3,465th and final hit of his career.

"It was a memorable day that I'm proud to be a part of it," Ortiz said. "Saying goodbye to a good player like D.J. is something not everybody gets an opportunity to do. This guy was perfect, as far as (how) he played. I wasn't there when he started but I was there when he finished. It was an honor for myself to be a part of it."

Ortiz plays his final regular-season game at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 29.