David Ortiz joined by three Boston police officers on the cover of Sports Illustrated

(Sports Illustrated) It's not often you see uniformed police officers on the cover of Sports Illustrated, but that's not the first detail that caught my eye about SI's latest cover, which was unveiled Tuesday.

It features three Boston police officers posed next to World Series MVP David Ortiz on the field at Fenway Park. The photo, snapped by SI's Joe McNally, was taken a few days after the Boston Red Sox's World Series win. "Boston's Finest Hour," the cover reads.

What caught my eye: That Ortiz, the guy who you usually can't help but notice, the guy who is so often the center of attention, isn't front and center here. He's off to the side. The three officers — Rachel McGuire, Javier Pagan and Detective Kevin McGill — are at the center, forming a triangle next to Big Papi. Maybe that's just a matter of setting up a good photo. Keeping the big guy in the back.

Or maybe it's a commentary on the balance between sports and real life. Yes, David Ortiz is a postseason hero, but these three — who sprung to action on the day of the Boston Marathon bombing — are actual heroes.

You probably didn't recognize them or make the connection immediately, but this is actually the second SI cover of the year for McGuire, Pagan and McGill. They also covered the April 22 issue, shown in a much more dire situation.

(Sports Illustrated)

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Mike Oz is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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