David Ortiz says he regrets going public with retirement decision

When David Ortiz announced that this would be his last season, the baseball world prepared to say goodbye to the Red Sox icon. But since making his intentions known, Ortiz is second-guessing the decision because of the demands on his free time.

"I'm too busy," Ortiz told ESPN Deportes on Sunday. "I have too many things to do. I barely have time to do anything.

"It's very difficult for me. If I had even imagined that it would be so difficult, I wouldn't have announced anything. There are too many people I have to pay attention to, and on top of that I have to prepare for a game."

If the demands have affected Big Papi's pregame preparation, you wouldn't know it by how he's performed this season. The 20-year veteran slugger is hitting a career-high .342 with 18 homers and 59 RBI.

Two of sports' biggest stars recently went through similar retirement tours -- Derek Jeter and Kobe Bryant. But neither has had the individual success Ortiz is enjoying in his final season in the spotlight.

Ortiz might regret going public with his retirement plans, but it doesn't look like his impressive start has caused him to rethink his decision.

"Everything hurts," he said. "It even hurts to think. Last time I reached second after a double, I almost called for a timeout so they would get me out of the game. I can barely run because my feet hurt so much. I am in severe pain."

Ortiz is less than halfway through his 20th season and his body already appears to be breaking down. So yes, Papi made the right decision. He probably should have just kept it to himself.