When talking about the greatest baseball players of all time, it would be remiss not to mention David Ortiz. Having played for the Boston Red Sox, Big Papi won three World Series rings and earned quite a reputation for himself in the league. Among the biggest MLB players to come out of the Dominican Republic, Ortiz is revered by many. And yet, the former slugger had some choice words to say about his home country recently.

The retired slugger is known for his upbeat personality, with a big heart that’s always ready to help people out. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, Ortiz has always been about giving back to the community. But he’s equally critical when it comes to the state of baseball in his country in the Caribbean. Which just happens to be among the top Latin countries to churn out excellent baseball players regularly.

David Ortiz criticizes the Dominican Republic for its lack of proper stadiums

Baseball may be America’s favorite pastime, but great players exist all over the world. One of those places is the North American country of the Dominican Republic. It has produced players along the likes of Albert Pujols, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Fernando Tatis Jr., among others. And yet, the country seems to be a bit lacking in training those players professionally, at least according to David Ortiz.

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A recent article by AlBat discussed Ortiz condemning his birthplace for not keeping up with the times and having professional MLB-level stadiums. MLB insider Hector Gomez shared a quote on Twitter by the pro baseballer, “The Dominican Republic is the Latin country that produces the most baseball players and it doesn’t have a stadium that the MLB approves to play a Major League game… Shame on us.”

READ MORE – “Trying to Catch a Baseball…”- When David Ortiz Got Joined In by an NFL Legend During the Home Run Derby

Big Papi has no mercy!

Ortiz once collaborated with the MLB for a Youth baseball field

The former DH is very active in his pursuits of philanthropy. Ortiz once teamed up with loanDepot, an MLB sponsor, to unveil the new and renovated Wilmington Athletic Complex. The baseball field was refurbished for the Boys & Girls Club of the Los Angeles Harbor. Big Papi participated in the event because he’s a big promoter of sports among kids.

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“A lot of people still struggle with having facilities where they can go play sports…”I hope with these new fields, baseball can give to them what the sport has given to me,” he told PEOPLE.

What a big heart!