Playing Dumb
Big Papi is blaming the New York media for leaking information about his failed drug test in 2003. This lack of responsibility is not what we’ve come to expect from one of the most clutch athletes of his generation.
David Ortiz was arguably the most beloved baseball player of his generation. His status was legendary amongst Boston fans, of course, but even the rest of us were admirers to different degrees. He was always the guy fucking around with everyone at the home run derby, toweling people off. Then he’d step in the box and put on a show, in only a way Big Papi could. He displayed immense power with that left handed helicopter backswing, making hitting coaches around the world lose their damn minds. He was a loud charismatic spectacle. In the wake of the Boston bombings, he said to a packed Fenway, “This is our fucking city!” The ultimate face of a franchise, and hero of a fanbase. However, he had anti-hero qualities as well, being linked to PED use after a failed drug test in 2003.
Ortiz recently expressed thoughts that the publicity of his failed drug test, was due to New York press leaking the information. His reasoning, being the fact that so many Yankees were being busted, it was some kind of retribution against a rival. This is a bit of a stretch, and also not true, as his teammates in 2003 Manny Ramirez and Sammy Sosa were also part of the 100 players that were administered the drug test. Big Papi even claims he still doesn’t know what he tested positive for, because they wouldn’t tell him. He was famously quoted as saying, “All you’ll find in my blood is rice and beans.” This speaks to the fun spirit of Ortiz we’ve grown to love, but it is also comes off as a grown man playing dumb.
Big Papi never shied away from pressure-filled moments throughout his career, he flourished in them. He has three rings, and had a huge part in earning all of them, as he was an ALCS MVP in that famous series that worked towards breaking the curse in 2004. He was also the World Series MVP in the most recent championship in 2013. He’s without a doubt an all time clutch athlete, and right there with Edgar Martinez as the greatest designated hitter ever. This is what I’m bothered by. The fact that a guy who took full responsibility for all of his actions on the field, is blaming a failed drug test on the media from a rival city. These bullshit excuses don’t parallel his amazing resume. He’s a war tested vet, making statements you’d hear from a dumb rookie. All this being said, he by no means became any kind of poster boy for the “steroids era”. He didn’t get close to the same scrutiny his teammate Manny Ramirez received. It makes me wonder if Barry Bonds had rings, and smiled more, would he have been seemingly given a pass like Ortiz. This is all speculation, however I do know that Big Papi is too smart to be saying the things that he’s saying.
