"David Ortiz, who last night was named winner of Major League Baseball's prestigious Roberto Clemente Award, backed off his comments to ESPN earlier this month about potentially playing for the Yankees.

"I never said I would sign with the Yankees. No, no, no,'' he said. "They asked me if I would play with the Yankees. I said I would think about it. I didn't say I would go to the Yankees. I'm still with the Red Sox, aren't I?''"