Former Boston Red Sox star and current broadcast analyst David Ortiz experienced an unexpected pregame ordeal on Tuesday ahead of Game 4 of the World Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. Rather than arriving at the ballpark without incident, Ortiz found himself trapped inside an elevator twice before going on air.
Broadcast host Kevin Burkhardt broke the news to viewers during the pregame show from Tampa Bay, noting that multiple members of the production crew had encountered elevator trouble earlier in the day. Addressing Ortiz directly on set, Burkhardt welcomed the former slugger back to the broadcast team after his rescue.
When asked about the incident by Burkhardt, Ortiz confirmed that the entrapment happened not just once, but twice. Fellow broadcast analyst and former New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez then asked Ortiz whether he struggled with claustrophobia during the ordeal.
Ortiz admitted that while he does not normally suffer from claustrophobia, his concern grew as the situation persisted. Fortunately, he managed to exit the elevator safely and arrived at the venue in time for the broadcast.
The lighthearted discussion also featured former Yankees captain Derek Jeter, who playfully suggested that supernatural elements from the opening games of the series might have followed the crew from Wisconsin. Jeter quipped that ghosts from a rumored haunted hotel in Milwaukee had hitched a ride to Florida, prompting a laughing Ortiz to suggest that travelers from Wisconsin might have brought them along on the airplane.
The pregame elevator mishap preceded the pivotal matchup in Tampa Bay, where the Milwaukee Brewers entered Tuesday night looking to secure a sweep against the Tampa Bay Rays.
