This comes to you as the first column of Fire Brand as the home of the DIVISION CHAMPION RED SOX!
He’s on fire.
Big Papi, who nabbed four hits in four outings yesterday with a walk, had another successful night last night, nabbing three hits and a homer. Without factoring in last night, his September is at a fantastic .388/.514/.800. Think he’s warming up for October?
While Ortiz had a solid first-half, there was no question that his home-run power was missing. He had a .990 OPS prior to the break, with 14 homers and 29 doubles to go along with a .314 average.
After the break, he’s been a man on a mission: .348 average, 20 homers, 22 doubles, one triple in 43 less at-bats. He’s getting on base 45.5 percent of the time, and has 116 RBI and 114 runs through Thursday’s games.
Ortiz is hitting out of his mind right now, and there’s no doubt that Big Papi as we know it is back. Sure, he only has one walk-off homer since July of 2006, but the way he’s been hitting all year, it’s fluky. People who don’t believe in clutch are pointing to his lack of clutch hitting this year, but I call that hogwash. With the bases empty, he’s hitting at a .965 OPS. With runners on, he’s at 1.146. Quite the discrepancy.
Papi seems primed for a huge October … and he’s doing this despite a malady of issues affecting his shoulders, his knees … issues that will require off-season surgery. He’s barely able to get fully into his crouch now, and only does it when he’s sitting on a fastball. And yet … he has the best OPS of his career. He has a 1.059 OPS, and this will mark the seventh straight year it’s gone up. Sure, he’s not going to hit 54 homers this year with a .287/.413/.636 line like he did last year, but he can hit .330/.444/.615 with 34 homers.
Some players are enjoying a revived September. Like J.D. Drew, hitting .324/.449/.544. Jacoby Ellsbury is becoming a househould name with a .360/.394/.547 line. Mike Lowell set the record for most RBI in a season by a Red Sox third-baseman (116 and counting) by riding a .312/.375/.441 line in September. Curt Schilling looks like an ace again, sporting a 3.16 ERA, 1.05 WHIP in 25.2 IP in September. Bryan Corey is raising eyebrows with a 9.1 IP, 1.93 ERA effort. We all know about Clay Buchholz. But no one has shown his ferocity as much as David Ortiz.
He always seems to have a smile on his face when he’s cavorting with fans and players alike … and sometimes that translates to the batter’s box. Earlier this year, when he got brushed back with a pitch near his feet that sent him sprawling to the ground, he laid on the ground and did two brisk pushups much to the delight of the crowd. But then he stepped back in and became the growling, hulking, spitting menace he represents to every opposing fan and player.
Ortiz reminds me of King Leonidas in 300 (a must-see movie): “The old ones say we Spartans are descended from Hercules himself. Bold Leonidas gives testament to our bloodline. His roar is long and loud.”
This guy is dangerous. So very, very dangerous.
Thank god he’s on our side.