This afternoon, prior to the start of the Boston Red Sox game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, I had thoughts of writing an article blasting manager Terry Francona for remaining confident in David Ortiz , who entered batting .149 on the season, as his designated hitter. One swing by Big Papi momentarily postponed that article.
Ortiz has struggled for more than two years. Last season he managed to slug 28 homers and drive in 99 rbi’s. How is that struggling? He hit just .238 and only reached base at a .338 clip. He played like sunset was approaching on his career, flailing repeatedly at off-speed pitches and failing to connect squarely with even the straightest of fastballs. It was tough to see him struggle, as he has been a very celebrated and beloved figure in Boston. He was far from the player that made up a deadly tandem with Manny Ramirez . He wasn’t the player you knew would deliver in the clutch. He would hit home-runs and send the Fenway crowds out of their seats, but he was longer Big Papi.
He expected to bounce back with a bang this season, but it has not gone the way he had planned. It has been more of the same. He was 8-56 in April, clubbing just one homer. But despite his problems at the plate, Francona continued to have faith in the big slugger. Just as the Seattle Mariners brought back Ken Griffey Jr . in part because of what he had done with the team years ago, Francona must have also had sentimental reasons for leaving Ortiz in as an everyday starter. At first I didn’t blame him. After all, this was a lovable character, a fan favorite, a player that guided the Red Sox in 2004 to their first World Series title in 86 years—a player that defined “clutch.” But, with the rest of the team struggling to score runs, Ortiz quickly turned, at least in my eyes, into a burden, as much as I hate to say it.
His woes continued in the second game of their series with the Angels, albeit in their second straight win over their scuffling opponent. He struck out twice and grounded into two double plays. Advocating for Mike Lowell , who entered tonight’s game with one more three more hits than Ortiz in 33 less at-bats, to start in his place and restore order in the order, Ortiz responded to this particular critic and many others by lashing out against Angels starting pitcher Joel Pineiro . In the fourth inning with Boston already ahead 1-0, he skied a changeup into the Green Monster seats for his fourth home-run , trotted around the bases amidst cheers as he has done so many times in a Red Sox uniform, crossed home-plate, received congratulations from Adrian Beltre , and jogged to the dugout and slapped hands with the rest of his teammates and Francona, whose faith paid off.
The solo-shot that gave John Lackey , who was facing his former team, more than enough support was Ortiz’s second hit of the contest. It notched just his second multi-hit of the season, but maybe it can right his sinking ship. The solid night at the plate raised his average to .171 and propelled the Red Sox, a team also backed by Lackey’s seven innings of two-hit ball , to their third straight win over Anaheim and their sixth win in nine games.
Hopefully, as I desperately wanting Ortiz to succeed and rekindle the magic of years past, his average will continue to increase and benefit a resurrected Red Sox offense. Hopefully I can indefinitely postpone the article I was originally going to write, and regret even thinking such a thought.
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