All joking aside, it's good to be back. The pressure of school is behind me for the time being and only the pressures of finding a job in this terrible economy lie ahead. Well, now that I've entirely just bummed myself out, I'm going to smash my head on the keyboard for a second to vent the unemployed frustrations out of my body....
(10 minutes later.....)
Alright, since that's out of my system now, it's time to get down to business. I've spent much of the last few days thinking what my first blog back should be about (Okay, that's a lie, I've spent the last few days in an alcohol induced celebratory coma, but maybe I had a few blog dreams) The one story that's ongoing in Major League Baseball right now is what in the holy hell is wrong with David Ortiz? Is it his wrist? Is it his knee? Is it his expanding waist line? Has he run out of clean syringes to inject himself with? The questions are endless for what is exactly plaguing the former most feared slugger in the American League.
But, I would just like to say "I told you so." For at least 2 and a half years now I've said time and time again that Ortiz is nothing more than an overweight hitter with marginal skill who was boosted to elite status by having a hall of fame player batting behind him; Manny Ramirez. Long before David Ortiz became "Big Papi", I spouted off from the mountain tops that he was merely riding the success that Manny Ramirez created for him. Well, guess what? Turns out I was right. As always, I've got the stats to prove it!
The three season period of 2004 - 2006 saw David Ortiz catapult himself into the category of "most feared home run hitter in baseball." In the 9th inning of any tied game, who was the one hitter no team wanted to face? It was David Ortiz. I can't tell you how often he would hit a game-tying or game-winning home run against the Yankees, or any other team that tried pitching to him. He was the definition of clutch.
In that 3 year period, Ortiz played an average of 153 games per season, averaging the numbers .315, 47 home runs and 141 runs batted in. Those numbers are absolutely astounding.
But, those were also the only years of Ortiz's career where he has played over 150 games. 2009 is now the 13th year that 'Big Papi' has been on a Major League Baseball roster, and he's only played 150+ games a total of 3 times. He's only played above 130 games 5 times.
All the talk about whether David Ortiz is "finished", or "losing his bat speed", etc, is all over blown. The simple fact is. He is who we thought he was. Before he came to Boston he was a left handed nobody hitter with the propensity to strike out a ton and couldn't play in the field if his life depended on it.
Then he was introduced to his partner in crime, Manny Ramirez and suddenly his career took off. That's no small coincidence.
Bear in mind when David Ortiz was on the Minnesota Twins BEFORE he was paired up with Manny Ramirez, he played in a total of 455 games, batting .266 with 58 home runs and 238 runs batted in. In essence he averaged a home run every 7.8 games, and a run batted practically every 2 games. If you extrapolate those averages out over the course of a 162 game season, his PRE-MANNY numbers would see him hit around .266 with 20 home runs and 85 runs batted in. Basically, he's a lot less Hercules and a whole lot more the fat Jose Guillen.
Now, after he signed with the Boston Red Sox and started hitting 3rd in the Boston order in front of Manny Ramirez, over the next 6 seasons Ortiz played a total of 698 games, hitting .294 with a Herculean 199 home runs and 624 runs batted in. Basically, with Manny Ramirez protecting him in the lineup, he averaged a home run every 3.5 games and a run batted in nearly every game. If his statistics are extrapolated and averaged out over the course of a 162 game season, his numbers WITH-MANNY saw him hit .294 with 46 home runs and 145 runs batted in. That's a man who should be feared.
But, once Manny Ramirez was traded to the Dodgers, it's been all down hill for the big man ever since. In the time that Manny was traded to Los Angeles last July 31st, Ortiz has played in 92 games, a little more than half a season. In that time, Ortiz has hit .234 with 10 home runs and 64 runs batted in. If that pace keeps up, over the course of a 162 game season, Ortiz would bat below .240 with 17 home runs and 112 runs batted in. Basically, his post-Manny life is seeing him turn into a fat Jason Giambi without the On-base percentage.
You can say that Ortiz has an injured wrist that hasn't healed since last year, or that he has a bad knee, or whatever other excuse you can make for him. The bottom line is, he's playing like he did when he was on Minnesota. There is a reason why the Twins let him go. THIS IS THE PLAYER HE IS! His player biography of his time with the Twins states "Ortiz's time with the Twins will be looked back upon as a series of injuries and inconsistency at the plate. Ortiz suffered wrist injuries in both 1998 and 2001."
Hmm, does that sound familiar? Isn't that what's been plaguing Ortiz for the past season and a half? Injuries and inconsistencies? It seems to me that the David Ortiz from 2004 to 2006 was the statistical anomaly and that the David Ortiz from 1997 - 2002 and from 2008 until now is the real David Ortiz.
Think of him what you may. But, Manny Ramirez should be credited with any success David Ortiz has attained. Without Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz would still be known as David Arias (no clue what I'm talking about? Google it. You'll laugh).
It's because of Manny Ramirez that David Ortiz will be remembered as a slugger who once was. The David Ortiz from 3 years ago is long gone. The career of David Ortiz will finish the way it began 12 years ago in Minnesota; frustrated, unhappy and on the bench
He is who we thought he was
Until next time...It's good to be back
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