How Fast Does a 300-pound Sox Sink?

There's off days, there are slumps, and then there is this.  To say that David Ortiz isn't producing is the understatement of the season. Thursday's 12-inning loss to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in California of the United States Located in North America, forced the words out of the collective mouths of dozens of Red Sox fans: Big Papi might never be the same.

Now, Ortiz is clearly not the only Boston boy who has had a history of stranding runners on base. Over the last seven years, the Sox have left more men standing than a sober Lindsay Lohan. But leaving twelve men on base is a bit egregious, even by Sox standards. He can't responsibility for all 17 of stranded base runners, but 70% is a little too big to overlook (just like Ortiz himself).

Now, let's back it up for a minute... shall we? Everyone knows that when Ortiz came from Minnesota, he was keeping his hands a bit high in his stance. Within months, Ron Jackson and the Red Sox coaching staff had evaluated and reevaluated his mechanics to fix the problem. What we're seeing out of David Ortiz right now is, unfortunately, a problem that cannot be fixed - barring a trip to the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative, of course.

Papi isn't finally starting to show is age - he's been flying the flag proudly for over a year now. As one of the saviors of the 2004 and 2007 World Championship teams, it became easy for Red Sox fans to support him through what we thought was a brutal slump. Now, the harsh reality that this is the beginning of the end is hitting us right between the eyes like a morning hangover. After a few great nights of home runs, you wake up in the morning a few days later and you're left with a frumpy three hundred-pounder with a big ring on their finger (or two in Ortiz's case).

Of course the Red Sox shouldn't kick a man who is more loved in Boston than Ted Kennedy himself to the curb. And Lord knows that #34 isn't the only time bomb of an expiring contract that the front office has saddled itself with. But the expectation that he is going to be one of the best hitters in the game is completely and utterly bunked at this point. Last night's showing proves that he is not only failing to produce, but his lack of hitting is actually hurting the team - which means that Francona is going to have to think long and hard about when and where he uses the big one (...that's what she said.)

It's a harsh reality, friends, but it's something we should all be prepared for. Isn't the first step to a World Series admitting that you have a problem, or is that from another group meeting?

Leave A Comment

---

---

4 Comments

Post a comment

Name:

Email Address:

URL:

Remember personal info?

Comments: (you may use HTML tags for style)

Please only click "Post" once. It may take a few moments to process.