Not even sitting next to a pinstripe legend saved David Ortiz from a tongue-lashing from Yankees fans in The Bronx.
Oritz was razzed as he sat on the MLB on Fox desk in centerfield sandwiched between Yankees legend Derek Jeter and another former Bronx Bomber, Alex Rodriguez.
“Papi Sucks!” the crowd chanted at the Red Sox great who has become a fixture on Fox’s baseball broadcasts.
He didn’t seem to be getting any sort of help from his colleagues either as both Jeter and A-Rod happily egged on the crowd to deride their former Boston nemesis.
“It’s my turn now. My turn,” Ortiz tried to say to the crowd as he attempted to get a word in edge-wise.
But that only seemed to embolden the hostile fans even further.
The only thing Ortiz could do was laugh maniacally as Rodriguez patted his hand in a playful manner.
“Come on man, show some love for Papi!” Ortiz finally said.
Yankees fans had come into Monday night’s Game 3 against the Dodgers as ready as ever despite the Bronx Bombers trailing the best-of-seven series 0-2.
A raucous crowd turned out for the Yankees’ first home game in the World Series since 2009 as they packed the building.
Jeter threw out the first pitch to open the game and hip-hop legend Fat Joe performed a melody of his hits, which whipped the stadium into more of a frenzy as the upper deck danced along to the music.
Ortiz is a three-time World Series winner, all of which came with the Red Sox and included helping to break the team’s centuries-old championship drought in 2004 after ralling from a 0-3 deficit against the Yankees in the ALCS.
His tenure coincided with the height of the Yankees’ rivalry in the 2000s with the Red Sox.
Ortiz will have to deal with at least one more night of jabs from Yankees fans with Game 4 taking place in The Bronx on Tuesday and an if-necessary Game 5 slated for Wednesday.