another reason why david ortiz is my favorite bosox player

not that i needed this one mind you.

but this isn't really about mr ortiz. it's about mr rollins.

to the family and friends of spec justin allan rollins, my heart goes out to you. my thoughts and prayers are with you

Red Sox Slugger Keeps Soldier's Memory Alive


By Jerry Markon Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, March 20, 2007; Page B01
When Justin Allan Rollins learned that he was being deployed to Iraq last year, the soldier had a mission of his own: to see his beloved Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park one last time.
Spec. Rollins saw more than just a game that summer day. He got to meet one of his heroes, Red Sox slugger David Ortiz. Ortiz signed a ball for him. Later, in the stands, Rollins turned to his father.
"He said, 'If David Ortiz hits a home run, I can die a happy man in Iraq,' " recalled Kathryn Hanson, a close family friend. "His father thought it was the most eerie thing he had ever heard."...........

............The Red Sox won that June 24 game against the Phillies -- with a home run by Ortiz. And this month, Rollins, 22, of Newport, N.H., died in Iraq. He was killed March 5 in Samarra, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit during combat...........