Motivation Quote by David Ortiz

Ortiz is talking like a clubhouse politician who knows the secret engine of a long season: dignity is contagious, and so is laziness. On the surface, it is a blunt accountability slogan - every year is a fresh audit, every person has a job. The sharper move is the scope. By pulling in "even the batboy", Ortiz isn not just praising work ethic; he's flattening the team's hierarchy on purpose. In a sport built on status (contracts, stats, media heat), he reframes the organization as a single organism where small lapses ripple upward.

The timing matters, too. Baseball is cyclical and cruel: injuries reset reputations, hot streaks vanish, new prospects arrive, front offices churn. "Something to prove each year" rejects entitlement, even for a star. It's a veteran telling everyone - himself included - that yesterday's ring, RBI total, or highlight reel doesn't buy immunity from tomorrow's pressure. That line doubles as a quiet warning to complacent teammates and a message to management: do not treat commitment as optional, especially when the grind gets boring in July.

"Responsibility" is the moral word here. Ortiz isn't romanticizing hustle; he's defining belonging. The batboy is a symbol of the unglamorous labor that keeps a team functional, and by naming him, Ortiz signals a culture where contribution is seen. That's leadership as social engineering: make pride available to everyone, and effort stops being a request and becomes the air everyone breathes.