August 29th, 2006 → 11:28 am @ Seth Mnookin // No Comments
Yesterday, David Ortiz was sent back to Boston after another incident of an irregular heartbeat. I didn’t want to do this, but it’s time: I’m available — reluctantly — to play either 1B, DH, or LF.
In the meantime, let’s take a trip down memory lane (and do check out that photo gallery) and revisit some recent history of that fist-smacking, Shrek-looking Superman.
* There was his poignant ad for erectile dysfunction.
* Speaking of deflated, there was a weak attempt to show that Ortiz was not a clutch hitter.
* There was this attempt to explain why he is.
* There was this look at what could be an historic season.
* There were these walk offs.
* And this one.
* There was this excerpt printed in the Phoenix about the emergence of Ortiz as a star.
* At the bottom of this page, there’s an audio link to a section about Ortiz’s Game 5 game winner off of Loiza in Game 5 of the ’04 ALCS.
* And finally, there was this excerpt about the Red Sox signing the most iconic player of the past three years.
There. That should keep you busy while you wait for the test results from Boston.
Post Categories: David Ortiz
zoowah
18 years ago
John Mark Karr and I are also available for tonight’s lineup, he less reluctantly than me. I’d prefer infield, as outfield significantly decreases my value on the market.
Praise Krishna these games are at 10:00 p.m. so we can feign obliviousness. How the heck can Francona sit there at watch it?
yazdog8
18 years ago
Get well soon David.
mkp
18 years ago
I remember trying to buy an Ortiz T-shirt in late July 2003, after his walk-off double vs NYY, and I recall that it was easier to buy a Jeremy Giambi one at that time at Fenway. I found a red (not my preferred blue) one, and until October it was rare for me to see anyone else wearing Papi’s number. I was there for his Sept 23 WO vs BAL, coincidentally wearing the red #34, and within a couple of days you could buy blue Papi shirts at Olympia Sports at the Prudential.
In Jan 2004 I happened to be at Miami airport, flying back to Boston, and who did I see going through security but David, his wife Tiffany, and their daughter. Nobody paid him any notice, and I wasn’t going to bother him, but when he stood in line behind me at the Starbucks next to the gate I told him how happy I was that he was a Red Sox and hoped that he would be around longer than just 2004. He laughed, talked about baseball and Boston, and seemed to smile knowingly at my last comment. A little while later the team announced his contract extension through 2006 with a ’07 option (of course this was extended yet again this past April).
Ortiz shirts were now much easier to find at the start of 2004. Papi’s infectious smile, easy going nature, and at the time stunning comments about how he decided to stay in Boston and sign a bargain basement contract after putting up career slugger numbers simply because he loved the city, the atmosphere, and the fact that he felt so lucky to be playing the game he loved so much while making more money than he ever dreamed of was so refreshing that it was impossible to be a fan of the OTT and not like the big guy.
Then came 2004, and “like” turned to “love” as the big guy swung his way into RS history. I remember watching his AB vs Loaiza on Oct 18, watching him refuse to be beaten, and I said to my wife that I cannot believe that we may win 3 post-season games IN A ROW off the bat of one guy. That AB goes down as the most exciting, nerve wracking experience I have had.
The amazing thing about Papi is how he continues to rise to the occasion. There is no stage too big for the big guy, no situation with too much pressure. B. J. Ryan called him the toughest out in baseball, Billy Wagner has never faced him and said that he never wants to if the game is on the line, even Mariano admitted that as methodically as he approaches every batter, his game plan with Ortiz is very different if Papi’s getting a hit would win the game (i.e. I’ll go after whomever is behind him).
There is no shortage of places where we can reminisce about Papi’s amazing performances. I remember after 2004 I wondered how could he possibly improve, and in 2005 he only put a sputtering offense on his back through late August and September while putting up career numbers AGAIN. This year my rational baseball side hoped for another 40/100+ season, only to see him hit at a pace that would obliterate RS records should it continue.
I love Papi because of the excitement I feel when he is at bat. Because of his obvious excitement and delight at playing this game, and his genuine appreciation of the fact that he is excelling at a game he loves, in a place that loves him. I love the anticipation that comes when he is at the plate with a chance to win the game — the way we tell ourselves that we cannot reasonably expect ANOTHER big hit, but how we all secretly expect it, like 7-year-olds who watch with baited breath and know either euphoria at his success or bewilderment at his failure.
And how infrequently has the latter been: out of the last 19 times he has been in that position, he has only made an out 3 times. I hope and pray that the big guy rises to this occasion also. Please be okay, David. We all love you — baseball in this town will not be same otherwise.