On May 5th, I thought David Ortiz should be released. Even though he hit two home runs a few days prior in Baltimore, they were on average fastballs that measured 90 and 91 miles per hour. Ortiz or any quadruple-A slugger like Jack Cust should be putting those in the seats when he knows it is coming. I was not impressed and my patience was running thin. The hope of October baseball at Fenway was fading. Drastic times call for drastic measures — the release of a Red Sox icon.
Thankfully that did not happen. David Ortiz is still property of the Boston Red Sox. After last year’s summer reemergence of Big Papi and witnessing his progress at the plate, the Red Sox stood by Ortiz.
Dave Magadan discussed his progress with Alex Speier for EEI.com.
“He’s really worked on getting his front foot down and being ready to hit when the ball’s in the hitting area, and just being more direct to the ball…”
“He’s ready on time. He’s a little more direct to the ball. The guys that are throwing 93, 94, 95, he’s getting to those pitches. He’s seeing the off-speed better…”
And Ortiz got to those above average fastballs Friday night. He blasted a 92 mile per hour fastball from Matt Scherzer some 450 feet to right center field. Later in the same game, he took Scherzer deep again on a 93 mile per hour heater. For one night, Ortiz looked like Big Papi again.
But will we see Ortiz in the lineup Saturday night against lefty Dontrelle Willis? The Red Sox have been sitting him against left-handed pitchers in favor of Mike Lowell. The Olde Towne Team has been hedging their bets that Big Papi will reappear in 2010.
If he is consistently a force at the plate and platooned (Ortiz has not hit southpaws since 2007), Ortiz said to Comcast SportsNet New England’s Jessica Moran that he would seek to be traded.
“Well, if you don’t play here, you got to play somewhere else. That’s how it goes,” he said when asked if could see himself playing in another uniform. . “Hopefully not. This is my life right here, but what else can I say? . . .
This situation is something to keep both eyes on, but I’ll have to wipe the egg off my face first.