SKIP MILOS
I got a little flak from some Red Sox fans for not picking David Ortiz in Who Owns Baseball for yesterday’s action.
Forgive me. I felt that Jose Bautista getting on base 7 times during a double header, hitting a pair of homers, scoring 4 and driving in 5 against the Yankees merited the honor.
But don’t for a nanosecond thing I am disrespecting Mr. Ortiz in the slightest. Ortiz is, was and always will be one of my favorite players in Red Sox history. I love the big guy and am so happy he has reached the milestone of 500 homers.
Sure, 500 home run celebrations are not what they used to be. Only 27 men have ever hit 500 homers. From the 19th century to 1995, there were 14 players with 500 homers. 13 players have hit 500 since 1995. So when the total has nearly doubled in 20 years, it starts to be a diluted celebration.
And yes, I know there are, ahem, suspicions about Papi and a failed test. I was ahead of the curve on that. I called out reasons to be suspicious of Ortiz in 2009 BEFORE the test came out.
And yeah, he can be a bit of a diva.
But hey, to paraphrase Ortiz, this is OUR FUCKING roided up Diva!
There is no way to calculate the happiness that he has given Sox fans over the years. How insane is his highlight reel?
He hit a 10th inning walk off homer to clinch the 2004 Division Series over the Angels. He is in the rare company of players to end a series with a homer. And there is no way that homer cracks the top 5 of great Papi Red Sox moments!
Between the back to back walk off hits in the 2004 ALCS, the underrated crowd silencing homer in Game 7 of that same series, the countless hits and homers in 2013 and stirring the crowd post bombing at Fenway, David Ortiz has been the Pied Piper of happiness for Boston.
And how wonderful in the post Yawkey era of Red Sox baseball that after years of being the most close minded and racially shameful organization in baseball that the face of the team is a dark skinned Dominican Player?
Congrats to Papi from one of your biggest fans and supporters. And a firm middle finger to anyone who says he should not be celebrated.
(Any Yankee fan who wants to chirp about PED use, I will ask how you enjoyed the Andy Pettitte number retirement ceremony and today’s salute to A-Rod.)
500 homers is an accomplishment worth saluting.
But Papi’s trail of happiness is a non stop party!
Sully Baseball 