BOSTON -- Hanley Ramirez was breaking bad.

It was May 2010, and Ramirez had received national attention for misplaying a pop fly, kicking it into left field and not running hard to retrieve it, an incident that sparked a feud with then-Florida Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez. Their relationship only worsened, ultimately leading to Gonzalez getting fired, and just like that, Ramirez's reputation turned from an ultra-talented MVP candidate to a poisonous problem child.

It was then that the text messages from David Ortiz came pouring in.

"David's been a mentor for me, for every guy coming up to the big leagues and even when we're in the big leagues," said Ramirez, who regarded Big Papi as a big brother even before they were teammates for the past two seasons with the Boston Red Sox. "When you're young, you don't know. You're just going out there to have fun. But David loves to make sure that everybody's doing their thing the right way. He helps you see what's important. Even now, he's still my mentor every day."

It isn't just Ramirez. Across the majors, there are similar stories of careers that have been impacted by Ortiz's counsel and friendship. It's a primary reason so many opposing players have participated in pregame ceremonies to pay tribute to Ortiz throughout his farewell season.

In that spirit, and with the Red Sox planning to honor their iconic slugger during the next three days, ESPN.com has been collecting testimonials from many of Ortiz's teammates and friends.

Mookie Betts, Red Sox right fielder (2014-present): "He teaches you a lot. Pretty much these past few years, whenever I started struggling, he kind of comes to me and says, 'Just trust yourself. You'll be all right. Everything will be OK.' All I can really do is just trust what he says because he's done it for 20 years. Can't argue with that. And he knows the right time to come say something. He knows when somebody needs it and when they don't, and he's right on time every time. I think God definitely blessed him with that ability to be able to use his words and know when and when not to do certain things and what to say. He's pretty spot-on every time he has something to say."

Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox shortstop (2013-present): "He's a very wise man, someone with a lot of knowledge about life and about the game. He's been playing a long time. Just a very wise man who you could go to for anything, for any issues you have. He's very positive. I don't think he ever really points out the negative. He just says, 'Keep working. Make sure you keep putting in your work, and it'll change around.' He doesn't say like, 'Oh, your hands are lower or higher.' He's not that type of guy. And when he says anything [technical], it's like, 'Oh s---, it's clicked.' That's the type of person he is. When he's talking to you, he has extremely good knowledge of what he's talking about. He knows what he's talking about."

Jackie Bradley Jr., Red Sox center fielder (2013-present): "He's been a rock. He's very stable. He's there for you, through thick and thin, no matter the circumstance or the situation. He's showed day in and day out that he's going to have your back. He always says to just be consistent, as in with your work and to know that you're going to go through tough times, but you've got to continue to persevere. He's showed that through his career, and he's able to share with me certain situations on how to better myself as a player as well. He's one of those guys where, he's not going to just bum-rush you, but you know that he's there. He doesn't want to overfeed you with the knowledge. He's not going to just force it on you. But he knows that struggles are part of the game and the strong survive."

Clay Buchholz, Red Sox pitcher (2007-present): "There's been a lot of good moments with David. He's a fun guy to be around. He's always the same, regardless of him doing bad or doing good, and that's what you want from your leader or one of your leaders. If you had to have a Mount Rushmore in Boston, he would have to be on it. He's so clutch. When David's healthy and not hobbled in any way, he's one of the best there is in the game. I've been fortunate to be able to call him a teammate and be around him for the number of years that I have."

"For New England and the Red Sox, for minorities in the game, he's a role model and a mentor to so many. Everyone who's been in contact with him, he's impacted in some way. The vibrant personality, the toughness -- he's easy-going but performs on the biggest of stages. David has been a huge ambassador for the game of baseball."

Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager and former Red Sox teammate

Manny Ramirez, former Red Sox left fielder (2001-08): "You know very well the career David has had, but he was not yet the player he is now [when he joined the Sox in 2003]. He was not Big Papi then. When he came over and we began to see him work, we saw he had the potential, the power, and we started working on some things. We went to the cage together and we learned from each other. He is a complete hitter. He can hit for average, he can hit home runs, he can be a clutch hitter, he can get you RBIs. David Ortiz is among the best ever -- him and Barry Bonds. The moment I saw him, I told him he would also reach 500 home runs, and he said, 'No, I don't think I can ever do that.' I told him he certainly was going to get them, and look what happened."

Terry Francona, Cleveland Indians manager and former Red Sox manager (2004-11): "I know what David has meant to Boston. Some guys kind of shrink in that atmosphere. He just blossomed. It brought out his true personality and he embraced it. He's been through a lot there. He's certainly the face of the Red Sox, or one of them, and maybe the face of baseball. He's got that big smile, so when someone walks in a room, he can disarm you just like that, I don't care who you are. He's a big Teddy Bear. Early on, I realized real quick that you could go to him if you needed to get something done. That's really important. David transcends language, color, things like that. If you were in his uniform, that's what mattered. That meant a lot to me. We went through a lot -- some good, some tough. I pinch hit for him one year [2010] and that was hard for him because he's a proud man. It was hard for me, but we fought through it."

Mike Napoli, Cleveland Indians first baseman and former Red Sox first baseman (2013-15): "I always try to say there's certain guys that are special talents. Some people are so good at what they do that it's just, I don't want to say easy, but it almost is for them. Hearing him talk about certain stuff when he gets in the dugout, an at-bat or what a certain pitcher tried to do, it sticks with you and you think about those things. To be able to watch him hit, it was pretty special for me. Sometimes I was like, 'Man, I'm hitting behind him? Is he going to get anything to hit? They're not going to want him to beat them. It's on me to come through.' He's one of the best DHs ever, if not the best. It was something special to me that I'm going to be able to tell my kids. I still talk about it now to my friends and family. I mean, I got to hit behind David and win a World Series in Boston, which is something really special."

Jake Peavy, San Francisco Giants pitcher, former Red Sox pitcher (2013-14): "David is as big-time a player as anybody I've ever played with. He's a special type talent, and when he's gone, the game will have a huge void in it. I don't know who's walking into those shoes and stepping up to be the presence he is on and off the field in every capacity."

Alex Rodriguez, former Yankees third baseman: "I've been a huge David Ortiz fan from Day 1. I've known him since he was a teenager. I've got to tell you, I marvel at how he does it. I often say he seems like Magic Johnson, an incredible ambassador for the sport. I wish I was hitting like him. He's been unbelievable. Baseball, we have a small community, and David and I have been in the family for a long time. When you think about 750 players, it's all family, but David and I have been like brothers for a long time. I've been in touch with him all year, and I'm very proud of the way his career is finishing."

Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager, former Red Sox outfielder (2004): "For New England and the Red Sox, for minorities in the game, he's a role model and a mentor to so many. Everyone who's been in contact with him, he's impacted in some way. The vibrant personality, the toughness -- he's easygoing but performs on the biggest of stages. David has been a huge ambassador for the game of baseball."

Josh Reddick, Dodgers outfielder, former Red Sox outfielder (2009-11): "I first met David in Double-A when he came down to rehab. Immediately I knew I loved the guy. He pulled all the hitters into a room and talked for a solid hour about hitting and how to approach things. That was a great first impression. [In the big leagues], he told me what that starter had, invited me to the cage with him, I just sat in awe and listened. He and I always joked about what my dad always told me, 'Swing hard in case you hit it.' That guy never takes a swing off. He has every intent to hit the ball in every at-bat."

Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners pitcher: "It's always a challenge when you face David. He's a great DH, great person, great teammate, great player. Seeing what he's doing this year, his last year, it's awesome. We faced each other a few times, had a few battles. I don't think there's any at-bat that stands out for me. It's just, he's the kind of hitter where you say, 'I've got to get him out because if I don't get him out, he's going to get a double or a homer.' I enjoy watching him play, man. We're going to miss him a lot for all the does on the field and off the field."

Nelson Cruz, Seattle Mariners outfielder: "I'll miss him, big-time. Baseball's going to miss him. It's not just the guys that are his friends. He's a big ambassador for the game. He represents the game of baseball. I mean, he's definitely a guy that's always there to help, especially young guys. He's always got something to say to help you, motivate you. He's got MVP numbers. At his age, with those kind of numbers, it's really something shocking. But that's him. He always finds a way to step up in big moments, and what better moment to step up and do one of his best seasons in his last season. You don't want to retire downhill. As big-time as he is, he should retire when he's at his best. I would love for him to come back. We're definitely going to miss him."