"I can't thank the U.S. enough for everything that had to do with me and my family throughout the years" - Throwback to when David Ortiz was asked if he's proud of being an American citizen

David Ortiz revealed how delighted he was to become an American citizen days before his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in July of this year.

In an interview with NESN's Tom Caron, Ortiz expressed his gratitude to the country after moving to the States from the Dominican Republic to pursue a career in baseball. He said:

"One of the guys asked me, 'Man, you sound like you're very proud of being an American citizen,' and I told him, 'Man, you have no idea. I mean, I can't thank the U.S. enough for everything that had to do with me and my family throughout the years. You know, I built a career in the U.S. I'm living the American Dream based on all the hard work. I have never had issues living in the U.S."

David Ortiz became an American citizen in 2008, while still playing with the Boston Red Sox. 'Big Papi' currently resides in Florida with his wife Tiffany and their four children. He spent 14 seasons with the Red Sox. He went on to become one of the best hitters in the league. Ortiz called it quits in 2016, at the age of 40 with an impeccable legacy in the MLB.

David Ortiz delivered a passionate speech after the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013

Ortiz delivered a powerful speech at Fenway Park after Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev orchestrated a domestic terrorist attack during the annual Boston Marathon in April 2013. The attack saw three deaths, hundreds of injuries, and, at least, 17 people who lost limbs.

David Ortiz was inducted into the Hall of Fame in January 2022

Ortiz's speech received a huge round of applause from the Boston faithful as they came together after the unfortunate attack. He said:

"This jersey that we wear today, doesn’t say Red Sox. It says Boston. We want to thank you, Mayor Menino, Governor Patrick, the whole Police Department for the great job that they did this past week. This is our f***ing city. And nobody’s gonna dictate our freedom. Stay strong."

The Hall of Famer's speech was impromptu. However, the words are still remembered as we near the 10-year anniversary of the attack. Big Papi will forever be remembered, not only as a Red Sox player, but also as a faithful ambassador for the city of Boston.