BOSTON -- The Mariners traded him. The Twins released him. And even the Boston fans gave up on David Ortiz a couple of times after he struggled to start the spring or limped away before the year was over.But when this Red Sox season is done and Ortizs career ends along with it, it will be by his choice. The 10-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion -- with a chance for a fourth, if all goes well -- is having one of his best seasons and one of the best finales in baseball history.So the question becomes: Is it Ortiz, this time, who is giving up on himself too early?They wanted him to retire seven years ago. And now that he wants to retire, nobody wants him to retire, former Twins teammate Torii Hunter said when Ortiz passed through Minnesota this summer for the last time. I definitely think to go out on top, thats the way to go.Ortiz insists this is really it, saying his feet hurt too much and it is too difficult already at 40 years old to consider grinding through another season.A look at some of the times people gave up on Bostons big slugger or otherwise doubted him:THE TRADESeattle signed Ortiz, who was then known as David Arias, as a 16-year-old in the Dominican Republic in 1992. He was batting .322 with 18 homers and 93 RBI in his first year of full-season Single-A ball a few years later when the organization looked around, saw that it already had a pretty good designated hitter in Edgar Martinez, a pitching ace in Randy Johnson and a couple of rising stars in Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez.The Mariners lost in the ALCS in 1995 and decided to go for it the following season. Sitting five games out in the division on Aug. 29, they acquired infielder Dave Hollins from Minnesota for a player to be named. Seattle closed to within one game of first place with a week to go but finished third, behind the Yankees and Orioles, and missed the postseason. Hollins batted .351 in 28 games for the Mariners and became a free agent after the season.On Sept. 13, 1996, Ortiz was sent to the Twins to complete the trade.RELEASEDOrtiz climbed through the minors the next season and made his major-league debut as a September call-up. In 2002, he hit .272 with 20 homers and 75 RBI in 125 games.After the season, the Twins had a decision to make.Looking at Ortizs injury history, his defensive shortcomings and the fact that he was expected to get a raise in arbitration to about $2 million for 2003, general manager Terry Ryan released him to free up a roster spot for a recently drafted infielder named Jose Morban. The Red Sox signed Ortiz about a month later for $1.25 million, with a plan to let him compete for at-bats at first base and designated hitter with Jeremy Giambi and Kevin Millar.By June, Ortiz was an everyday player in Boston. He hit eight home runs in July and 11 in August, ending the season with 31 homers in 128 games and placing fifth in the AL MVP voting -- the first of five straight top five finishes.Obviously, it was a mistake on my behalf, Ryan said this year, and Ive owned up to it way too many times.POSTSEASON STRUGGLESEveryone in baseball remembers Ortizs postseason heroics, but it didnt start out that way.He went hitless in his first 16 playoff at-bats for Boston in the 2003 ALDS before a two-run double in the eighth inning of Game 4 helped the Red Sox avoid elimination. They went on to lose to the New York Yankees in the ALCS in seven games.It was the following season that Ortiz became the Big Papi who carried the team to its greatest success. He had four hits and three RBI in Game 3 against Anaheim in the ALDS, hitting a two-run, walkoff homer in the 10th inning to eliminate the Angels. Then came the ALCS rematch against the Yankees, who won the first three games of the best-of-seven series to put Boston on the brink of elimination.In Game 4, Ortiz erased a 2-1 deficit in the fifth with a two-run single, then he hit a two-run, game-ending homer in the 12th. Less than 24 hours later, Ortiz had an RBI single, a solo homer and another walkoff hit -- this time a 14th-inning single. The Red Sox won Games 6 and 7 -- Ortiz had a two-run homer in the first inning of the clincher -- to become the first team to rally from a 3-0 deficit in a seven-game series.Ortiz was the ALCS MVP.SLUMPINGOrtiz was batting below .200 in the second week of June in 2009, and well into May the following season.In 2012, he played just one game in the last 10 weeks of the season because of a right Achilles tendon injury; without him, the Red Sox finished last with their worst record in almost half a century. In 2014, the year after he won his third title in Boston and a World Series MVP award, the Red Sox stumbled home in last place and Ortiz missed most of the last week of the season because of a sore wrist.On June 9, 2015, he was batting .219 with six homers and 21 RBI. After finishing with 37 homers with 108 RBI -- both the most for him in almost a decade -- Ortiz reflected on the need to repeatedly prove himself to the fans in a city where he had accomplished so much.They forgot about just about everything I have done here. They just throw that in the garbage. Its not like theyre talking about somebody that just got here, he said before the home finale last year. It seems like they wait for me to struggle so they can start talking trash. Whenever this time of year shows up, I just laugh.A month later, on his 40th birthday, Ortiz announced that the 2016 season would be his last .GOING OUT ON TOPStill, no one could have expected this.Entering the final weekend of this season, Ortiz was leading the league in doubles, slugging percentage and OPS. He has already hit more homers in his final year than any other player in baseball history.And the Red Sox, after two straight last-place finishes, are back in the playoffs.More doubts. This time: Will he really walk away?I dont think `Big Papi is going to retire. I keep telling him that, Angels outfielder Mike Trout said at the All-Star Game. With those numbers, I wouldnt.---Follow Jimmy Golen on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jgolen Arturo Vidal Jersey .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. Philipp Lahm Bayern Munich Jersey . A statement from the worlds top-ranked player says all checks "were satisfactory and showed positive evolution" regarding the injury, which contributed to his loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in the final in Melbourne. http://www.soccerfcbayernshop.com/kids-xabi-alonso-bayern-munich-jersey/ . PETERSBURG, Fla. Julian Green Jersey .2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and multimedia rights. Felix Gotze Bayern Munich Jersey .J. -- Seven games into a disappointing season, New York Giants defensive catalyst Jason Pierre-Paul is getting the feeling hes back. PV Sindhu and Ajay Jayaram advanced to the quarterfinals of the ongoing China Open Super Series after defeating their respective opponents in the second round on Thursday.While Sindhu registered a 18-21, 22-20, 21-17 win over USAs Beiwen Zhang in a match that lasted an hour, Jayaram won 20-22, 21-19, 21-12 against Hong Kongs Wei Nan in 56 minutes.Sindhu, seeded seventh, had previously recorded a 21-12, 21-16 win over Chia Hsin Lee from Chinese Taipei in the first round. She will next face Chinas Bingjiao He.This is Sindhus third event sinnce her silver medal finish at the Rio Olympics - the previous ones being the Denmark Open and the French Open, where she suffered second-round losses.ddddddddddddJayaram had earlier defeated Zhu Siyuan 19-21, 22-20, 17-21 to win the first round. He will next face second-seeded Chen Long from China.HS Prannoy, the other Indian in the fray, lost 17-21, 19-21 to Chinas Qiao Bin in a match that lasted 52 minutes. ' ' '