Yardbarker: David Ortiz

Lots of question marks for 2010 Red Sox starters

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:23:00 -0500

Well its officially that time again. The time of, "who should the Red Sox sign, re-sign, drop, and trade for" time.There are, indeed, a lot of questions. Here's a quick breakdown:The obviousJason Bay and Jason VaritekThe not as obviousAlex Gonzalez and Rocco BaldelliIn questionMike Lowell and David OrtizThis was the 2009 starting lineup for the most part:1. Jacoby Ellsbury CF2. Dustin Pedroia 2B3. Victor Martinez C/1B /Kevin Youkilis 1B/3B4. Jason Bay LF5. J.D. Drew RF6. David O...

Curse Fail

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:30:26 -0500

Earlier in the year, Gino Castignoli, a construction worker at the new Yankee Stadium, tried to jinx the team by burying a David Ortiz jersey 2-feet under the Stadium’s brand new concrete floor. Once Castignoli’s actions were made public, the jersey was subsequently removed by the Yankees and donated to the Jimmy Fund. In 2009, the [...]

Big Papi on Red Sox: 'I want to finish my career here'

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:40:53 -0500

Sporting News staff reports About to enter the final year of his contract (the team has a $12.5 million option for 2011), Red Sox DH David Ortiz told the Boston Herald that he knows he needs to step up in 2010. Ortiz says he plans to do just that and hopes to remain in Boston beyond next season. "I want to finish my career here," Ortiz told The Boston Globe. "I think I still have another three or four good years in me." Despite a slow start this season (one homer...

Big Papi Wants to Keep Playing Past 2010. I Hope He’s Willing to Move

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:53:15 -0500

Big Papi told the Herald that he has 3-4 good years left but 2010 will be David Ortiz's last year in a Red Sox uniform. If Ortiz rebounds nicely next season there is still no way that Theo is going to pick up his $12.5 million option for 2011. The Red Sox have a track record of not committing to players past their prime or once that limit their options (Mike Lowell aside) and Ortiz will be one of those guys. He cannot play in the field and with Victor Martinez, Lars Anderson, and possibly...

Big Papi Wants to Keep Playing Past 2010. I Hope He's Willing to Move

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:53:15 -0500

Ortiz Wants To Play Three Or Four More Years

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:09:06 -0500

David Ortiz thinks he can be the offensive "force" Theo Epstein wants him to be and he hopes to prove it for years to come. Big Papi told John Tomase of the Boston Herald that he has "another three or four good years" in him and he wants to spend them in a Red Sox uniform.As much as he'd like to remain in Boston, Ortiz, who could be a free agent as soon as next winter, says he understands it might not be possible."If you don’t sign with somebody, someone else will...

Sox Ortiz Renames Sauce 'En frío'

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 08:22:00 -0500

David Ortiz has a new hot sauce, Big Papi En Fuego. No word on whether Ortiz puts any of the sauce on what Red Sox manager Terry Francona said is his pre-game ritual - "Have 12 pieces of bacon, a Red... Full story: http://www.bobsblitz.com Best Amazon prices for Blitz Subscribers: http://got.to/BlitzBestDeals

Can David Ortiz make it to 30 home runs and 2010?

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:05:32 -0500

Back when David Ortiz was mired in his homerless streak, not bopping his first home run until May 20 and his second until June 6, I made a bet with a friend that Ortiz would end up with 30 home runs. Ortiz had a torrid June and kept consistently banging out the home runs, so it was looking more and more like I would win the bet. However, Big Papi has followed up a .222/.330/.495 August with a clunker in September: .160/.250/.280 through September 9. As a result, Big Papi is only project...

Video: David Ortiz Walk-Off Home Run 8.26.2009

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:23:40 -0500

Here is the video of David Ortiz hitting the walk-off home run to give the Boston Red Sox a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park. (Please open the article to see the flash file or player.) And here we have NESN reporter Heidi Watney asking tough stupid questions as usual. DayPortPlayer.newPlayer({articleID:"6778",fileTypeID:"7",thumbnailView:"false",rootCategory:"3",playerInstanceID:"FA4BADDF-1121-2521-A713-8B4A46F12...

Ortiz Doth Bestride the Narrow Earth Like a Colossus. And Hits Some Major F#$king Home Runs, Too.

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:41:00 -0500

Doesn't a walk-off home run from Big Papi just feel better? Don't get me wrong. I'll take a walk-off from any of our guys on a steamy August night at Fenway. But there's just something about seeing that stoic profile as it turns to chart the ball's trajectory. Those meat-eater arms rising up into the night sky. That oversized body thumping around the bases like the Hulk navigating a minefield. The fans in the seats going apeshit and the players crowding around the plate. S...

David Ortiz deserves the same treatment as all those before him

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 11:57:00 -0500

David Ortiz was thrown a gigantic lifeline yesterday by the MLB Players Association when they issued a statement prior to Big Papi's afternoon press conference in New York. The statement basically said that they can't confirm or deny anything and that the MLBPA could not reveal what each player tested positive for. That gave Ortiz a huge loophole to use. Now, he could say it could have been anything, something from GNC, just like Alex Rodriguez said when he was revealed to be on th...

Oh, David Ortiz also held some sort of press conference today

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 14:41:45 -0500

So David Ortiz finally held his long-awaited press conference on Saturday morning — you know, the one where he was finally going to get to the bottom of things — and decided to heap the blame on a bunch of unidentified vitamins and supplements he apparently used without much discrimination in the past. BUT, he said, "I never buy steroids." You can read a transcript of Ortiz's opening comments here. Honestly, I can't say that I expected much else from today's ...

David Ortiz Addresses Media, Red Sox Issues Statement in Support

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 13:34:04 -0500

David Ortiz addressed the media today at Yankee Stadium before Game 3 of the current series between the Red Sox and Yankees took place. Ortiz and the MLB Players Association called the press conference to address a report in The New York Times in which Ortiz was named as being part of a list of 104 players that tested positive for PEDs as part of a 2003 Survey Test between MLB and the players to determine if mandatory drug testing would be implemented in 2004. Before the press conference, both the MLBPA and MLB released statements regarding the 2003 drug tests. In both statements, the sides cautioned that the leaked names may not be accurate. “Major League Baseball does not possess the list of names and is unable to assess the accuracy of leaks relating to individual names. The continued leaks related to the 2003 survey test results are in direct violation of court orders." Michael Weiner, the incoming executive director of the MLBPA said, “First, the number of players on the so-called "government list" meaningfully exceeds the number of players agreed by the bargaining parties to have tested positive in 2003. Accordingly, the presence of a player's name on any such list does not necessarily mean that the player used a prohibited substance or that the player tested positive under our collectively bargained program." The MLBPA then continued, "[I]n 2003, legally available nutritional supplements could trigger an initial "positive" test under our program. To account for this, each "test" conducted in 2003 actually consisted of a pair of collections: the first was unannounced and random, the second was approximately 7 days later, with the player advised to cease taking supplements during the interim. Under the 2003 program, a test could be initially reported as "positive", but not treated as such by the bargaining parties on account of the second test. “ Ortiz said at the press conference that he used legal nutritional supplements that, at the time, could have led to the positive test. An on-going issue in baseball today involves players from the Dominican Republic using supplements that, while legal in that country, are on MLB's banned list of substances. David Ortiz is from the Dominican Republic. The Red Sox issued the following statement regarding the testing program in 2003: The Players Association made clear in its public statement today that there are substantial uncertainties and ambiguity surrounding the list of 104 names from the 2003 survey test. Indeed, there is even uncertainty about the number of players on this 2003 government list, whether it is 104, 96, 83, or less. Many of those uncertainties apparently relate to the use of then-legal nutritional supplements that were not banned by Baseball. David vigorously denied ever buying or using steroids. As important, Major League Baseball has informed us that David has been tested every year since the implementation of the MLB/MLBPA program in 2004 and, under the program, he has been tested 15 or more different times. We have been informed that, during this entire 6-year period (2004-2009), David has never tested positive for a steroid. Also during this period, David voluntarily submitted himself to the Olympic standard of drug tests administered in connection with the World Baseball Classics in 2006 and in 2009. We are informed he did not test positive for steroids under those tests either, and he participated actively in both international tournaments. Last week, David said he would keep people informed after he personally looked into reports of his inclusion on the 2003 survey test. He has done so. David Ortiz is a team leader, and his contributions on the field and in the community have earned him respect and a special place in the hearts of Red Sox Nation. We appreciate the attention given to this specific matter by the Players Association and the Office of the Commissioner. The Boston Red Sox continue to support all efforts to rid the game of steroids. We again salute Commissioner Selig for his staunch and continuing leadership in eradicating the use of steroids in Major League Baseball. Below are excerpts of the Ortiz press conference: MORE ON THE 2003 MLB "SURVEY TEST" MLB Releases Statement Regarding 2003 Drug Test Prior to Ortiz Press Conference, MLBPA Releases Statement Regarding 2003 Drug Test MLBPA Releases Statement Explaining Why "Survey Test" Results Were Not Destroyed Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (select his name in the dropdown provided). Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Baseball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see. Follow Maury Brown on Twitter Follow The Biz of Baseball on Twitter

Incoming MLBPA head issues statement on Ortiz

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 09:50:51 -0500

Michael Weiner, the incoming head of the Players Association, and David Ortiz will speak to the media at 12:30 pm today. Here is an advance statement released by Weiner. Two money quotes:The number of players on the so-called "government list" meaningfully exceeds the number of players agreed by the bargaining parties to have tested positive in 2003. Accordingly, the presence of a player's name on any such list does not necessarily mean that the player used a prohibited substanc...

Ortiz To Hold News Conference With Weiner

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:53:00 -0500

David Ortiz owes his fans (and the people who could care less) an explanation as to why he alledegly tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs back in 2003. The Boston Red Sox semi-slugger, along with future players' union head honcho Michael Weiner will hold a news conference this Saturday (in enemy territory) at Yankee Stadium just before the series finale. According to Big Papi, the union confirmed the presence of his name on the infamous court-sealed 2003 steroids list last week...