McAdam: Red Sox reeling in the aftermath of David Ortiz shooting

The Red Sox had business to which they needed to attend Monday night, the first game of a four-game series with the Texas Rangers, another team in the American League wild-card mix.

But for much of the day, their focus -- in the clubhouse, on the field, and in the offices of Fenway Park -- was elsewhere, fixed squarely on franchise icon David Ortiz, seriously wounded in a shooting in his native Dominican Republic Sunday night.

The act itself was shocking enough — sudden, brazen and unexpected. But perhaps what made it so difficult to comprehend was that an act of violence would be perpetrated against Oritz, known for his high-wattage smile, gregarious nature and larger-than-life persona.

Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy termed the events of Sunday night -- with Ortiz shot in the back by someone wielding a gun in a Santo Domingo nightspot -- "jarring, frankly stunning and terrifying. It was a horrific incident. Our exclusive focus is on his health and well-being and doing what we can to support the family.''

Former Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek, a teammate of Ortiz's from 2003 through 2011, struggled to keep his emotions in check as he addressed the shocking news.

"I didn't sleep very well last night,'' Varitek admitted. "I don't think anybody did who knows him...He's Big Papi -- he's a big man. Great human being, not just a great player. It's a very scary thing that something like that can happen that easily.''

"It hasn't been easy,'' conceded Alex Cora, who was Ortiz's teammate from 2005 through 2008. "One thing about David -- he's strong, he has no fear, he never shows weakness. I guess for that reason, the Lord will be with him. For those who believe, just pray for him, keep some positive vibes. He's bigger than life. That vibe he brought in on a daily basis to those teams and what he brings on a daily basis, that smile.

"It's been a tough one. I just hope that when he gets here, he's fine and we can see that big smile again and filling our room with joy. This is something you don't expect.''

"He's obviously everybody's big brother,'' said Eddie Romero, the Red Sox' assistant general manager, "so it was tough news to swallow.''

Red Sox management and ownership was rocked by the news Sunday night and began making phone calls and reaching out to contacts in the Dominican to obtain more information. Over time, they were able to obtain details about his condition and began making plans to send a medical transport plane to the DR to return Ortiz to Boston.

With his condition still serious but stabilized, he was cleared to travel. Late Monday afternoon, the expectation was that Ortiz would arrive in Boston late Monday night or early Tuesday morning.

Kennedy said the news of Ortiz's shooting "shook our Red Sox family to its core. David Ortiz is one of the most celebrated and beloved members of the Red Sox family. ... He's probably one of the most important players in our history, leading us to multiple World Series championships. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone more beloved than David and you can imagine how this has impacted the Red Sox organization. It's a very difficult day for the organization.''

The outpouring of emotion from fans and others in the Boston community toward Ortiz represented a payback of sorts, since in April of 2013, in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing, Ortiz rallied the city with his stirring -- and occasionally profane -- speech on the Fenway lawn.

"It's appropriate and expected that this community would rally around David when he needs us the most,'' noted Kennedy.

The incident was a reminder that safety and security has to be a concern for star athletes, even those who have retired.

"There are measures that we take and we try to educate our players,'' said Romero. "But it's not just limited to David and this incident. It's a problem you encounter in a lot of places with high-profile athletes and the exposure and money that comes along with it. There are factors that play into that that are sometimes out of control, so we try to educate the players as much as we can. We hope this just an isolated incident, but in David's case, it's a tough one.''

The move sobering enough to put things in perspective for the whole organization, and especially those who know Ortiz well.

"I've been saying all along, and this is why sometimes I'm brutally honest -- there's life, there's more important things than the Red Sox winning or losing or pitching changes and this and that,'' said Cora. "We went through it with Nick (Cafardo, the Boston Globe reporter who passed away in February); we went through it with Blake (Swihart, who lost his brother during spring training); I went through it with (a family friend and son of a former University of Miami teammate) last year. It's part of what we do.

"The big man, I know that he will be fine. I trust that he will be fine. That's what I want from everybody here -- stay positive, keep praying for him. But it has been very tough.''

Still, the Sox had business to take care of, and Cora, who addressed the team mid-afternoon, said the team had to be ready.

"We'll find a way because that's what we have to do,'' concluded Cora. "But it's not easy. We have to go out there and perform. We have to. We'll find a way to do it.''