Why Kevin Millar believes David Ortiz is best player in Red Sox history, reveals 'Big Papi' wanted trade

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David Ortiz was an integral part of the Boston Red Sox’s 2004 World Series championship run, when the Sox broke the "Curse of the Bambino," and a former teammate believes the retired slugger is the greatest player in franchise history.

Kevin Millar, who partnered with Twisted Tea to unveil its new Sweet Cherry Lime flavor, explained to Fox News Digital in a recent interview just how important Ortiz was to the team. Millar said general manager Theo Epstein, who also deserved credit for how the team was constructed, picked up Ortiz almost on a whim after he was initially non-tendered by the Minnesota Twins after the 2002 season.

Millar also revealed Ortiz wanted to be traded during the 2003 season if he wasn’t going to get more playing time. It’s something Epstein also mentioned in 2018 in an interview on MLB.com’s "Executive Access."

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David Ortiz and Kevin Millar work out at the Red Sox minor league spring complex in Ft. Myers, Fla. (Matthew West/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)

"David Ortiz, non-tendered from the Twins, he stepped up and was kinda in an out of the lineup in ’03 and, finally in May, he hit a home run in Anaheim," Millar recalled. "And I remember he said he wanted to be traded or play every day because, at that time, Jeremy Giambi was DHing, Shea Hillenbrand, myself were kinda doing a ring around the rosy, and finally he established himself in the story as the designated hitter for the Boston Red Sox in the middle of May.

"That year, he ended up hitting 31 home runs with 109 RBI and turned into just a remarkable, remarkable threat and then just took off. And