I guess I should be bummed out that the Yanks couldn't get the job done in extra innings yesterday, but I'm not all that upset over the loss. It's hard to complain too much when the Yanks went 8-2 in this homestand. And at least CC Sabathia continued to pitch well.
However, the fact that the Red Sox only won one of three this weekend, and still slid into first place, does tick me off. And it's funny that my predictions for both series ended up being more accurate for the Mets than the Yankees!
Speaking of Boston, I do feel sorry for the woeful David Ortiz, even though I strongly suspect - thanks in no small part to him hiring Angel Presinal as a trainer - that he's gotten some "help" in the past. The once-proud, ebullient player looks like a broken man. That's how pathetic Ortiz has been at the plate - even Yankee fans feel bad for him!
I see that there's talk about moving Big Papi, who bats third in the lineup, further down in the lineup. Sounds like hitting coach Dave Magadan and manager Terry Francona are going to talk about it, and consult Ortiz. You mean you actually inform your team's superstar that you're going to move him down in the lineup? I thought the standard - and "classy" - thing was to move your struggling star to eighth in the lineup, and not tell him about it beforehand. And then gripe when reporters ask you about it.
When I was growing up, I heard from my brothers about how sad it was when Willie Mays was stumbling around the outfield in the 1973 World Series. But Mays was 42 then. Ortiz is only 33.
Is Ortiz's career over? I don't want to say yes, but his slump has been going on since last season. When Brett Gardner has more homers than Ortiz, that isn't a good sign.
Now I'm going to throw a gratuitous Jonathan Papelbon slam out there. In addition to him throwing a fit when he didn't like an ump's call in Saturday's game, I saw this pic on Sliding Into Home, where Pap's vacant stare seems to suggest he's aiming to replace Spencer Pratt on "The Hills." Yeah, I went there.
What do you think? Leave us a comment!
14 comments:
Question: Why does a Red Sox fan blog on a Yankee website?
Answer: Because they spend more time blogging about the Red Sox than Yankees.
And at least the Red Sox fans don't boo Ortiz like Yankee fans would.
NAM - I'm not sure how much longer the Fenway faithful will hold out.
I really hoped that HR would give him a little boost, but even in all the hitting yesterday, nada. Very sad to see. The talk grows ever louder about what this might mean - I'm a realist so if there were ever revelations I wouldn't able to say shocked - but he's just about at the top of the list of players I would be most disappointed to find out was getting 'help'.
The Hills Lisa? I don't watch it so I don't really get the joke - I'm more concerned that this is a confession that you watch MTV :)
I could see suggesting Papi gets help if he was even hitting the ball, but he is striking out, not flying out. I don't think steroids helps the sluggers see better.
Ortiz has had a great run with the Sox, but nothing lasts forever. That said, the next time we play them and he steps up to the plate, I'll be worried.
Feel sorry for David Ortiz? Ummm, no.
Every time he swings an hour late on a fastball I laugh. Mike Pelfrey was embarrassing him for christ sake.
Nothing is sweeter than watching Ortiz decompose a little more each day.
NAM, I heard boos this weekend for Ortiz - not A-Rodesque boos, but boos nonetheless.
And I also seem to remember Curt Schilling getting booed by some fans, when he was struggling.
Those are two instances off the top of my head. I'm sure there are more.
Lisa
Lisa,
I haven't heard booing for Ortiz. You do realize who bats right after Ortiz - YOU, YOU, YOU. To the untrained ear, it might sound like booing.
NAM: No, there were boos. And it's not the only time - another example is when he got booed when B.J. Ryan got him out the other day.
As for your team's crazy closer, he threw a hissy fit and threw a towel at a photographer who tried to take a pic of him in the dugout after giving up the homer:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/05252009/news/regionalnews/red_rage__170861.htm
If Papelbon wants to be left alone, maybe he can be like Keith Foulke and go play for the Newark Bears. Don't think anybody's trying to bother him there.
Ah yes, Mr. Foulke. The infamous Johnny from Burger King remark. Tool...have fun in Newark!
As for Paps - I haven't heard much about the towel thing - just saw a a headline and a blurb online but will have to check it out further. Kinda funny actually as long as that was it. I wouldn't want any Sox going all Kenny Rogers on anybody.
Lisa, there may have been some boos but given his performance they would have been far worse at this point in NY. Heck, they would be far worse in Boston too - we're no angels when the boys aren't up to par for long stretches, but Ortiz gets a far bigger pass from the boo-birds and I'm cool with that. Of course the Sox ended up winning yesterday and I think fans of both teams are more lenient if the overall outcome is ok.
Schilling? Let's not even bring him up - he did great things, he got his ego boost and money for it and now he's done. Moving on. I'm a Sox fan but I don't believe that means I automatically have to love all of them - too bad they all can't be like Wakefield, Lowell, and Bay.
While I still contend that Ortiz gets somewhat booed, I actually don't disagree about the booing being worse in Yankeeland - I was at the game where A-Rod got booed in his second home at-bat of the season! There's an ugly element of the Yankee fanbase who thinks that's cool to do.
The Big Stinkee does not have Manny around anymore to rub creame on his nuts! Oh well. Do I feel sorry for him... no. He was always a POS and (apparently) a cheater. He could not hit with the MN Twins and then all of a sudden is a superstar with the Red Sox... yeah, right. It's nice when justice is finally realized.
Feel sorry for David Ortiz. Yeah... Just like I feel sorry for these miserable banks being bailed out all over the place. Ortiz sucks. This is a Yankee blog site. No mercy for the Big Cheatee!
Tough crowd!
I take back feeling sorry for Ortiz after reading this postgame comment:
"I'm an employee. I follow orders."
http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2009/05/27/ortiz_giving_his_all_in_these_trying_times/
As if it was unreasonable to move him down in the batting order when he's been slumping since last season. Good grief.
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