"RUN, DUMMY!"

It took me a little while to calm down and organize my thoughts for this post. On one hand I have had the opportunity to meet and talk with David Ortiz and found him to be one hell of a good guy. He is funny, personable and overall a class act…off the field. On the other hand, I had lost my voice from screaming at the television when he pulls his classless showboating act after taking a pitcher deep. Do you remember that from the other night? It was utterly embarrassing! His trot around the base path is excruciating and the epitome of what NOT to do as a professional athlete. In the words of Durham Bulls’ Great Crash Davis, “RUN DUMMY!”

Now we all KNOW that any and all members of the Red Sox Nation who might read this will immediately dismiss it. They lose their chowdah at the thought of a Yankee fan taking their eloquent designated hitter (This is our F%#*ing City!) to the proverbial “Woodshed”. Hey, Boston, with all due respect, GET BENT! You know these same folks would collectively need blood pressure medication if an opposing power hitter marveled at his handy work at the expense of Jawny Lestah, Clay, Jake or Dubrawnt. That is as factual a statement as saying the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, gang. Boston isn’t immune to the double standard. Believe it.

So the other night Ortiz, who looked foolish in every other at bat, took new Yankee import Masahiro Tanaka deep…good for you, Papi. You are an outstanding hitter and feast off the mistakes left up in the zone. There is no denying that. You’ve been doing it for years…SO ACT LIKE YOU’VE BEEN THERE BEFORE! You don’t get style points here. Let’s go! Make it around the bases as if you have respect for the your opponent and the game. I mean when Papi does finally cross home plate and points to the sky to thank God. You can almost hear the Almighty saying, “Hey! What took you so long? I gave to two strong legs, David. Run my son!”

The Yanks won Tanaka’s Fenway debut handedly and the back-to-back dingers the young righty served up to Ortiz and Mike “Looks like an extra from the movie Gettysburg” Napoli didn’t matter in the end. But believe me when I tell you that Masahiro, and more importantly Brian McCann, won’t forget Ortiz and his lame pause in the batter’s box and sightseeing stroll around the diamond. David may have only succeeded in focusing the Yankee staff even more. Way to be, champ. I bet even Pedy rolled his eyes at “Big Poser’s” stop and stare routine. It’s as stale as that guy who shouts “Play Free Bird!” at concerts.

The thing that has always bothered me about the Sox is that they seem to play with “Conduct Unbecoming of The Rivalry” and always get a pass. Ortiz and Manny with their showboating, Boston pitchers constantly throwing at Yankee batters (Look it up. They plunk us at like a 20 to 1 clip) and the needless bulletin board jabs from ownership and players like Jonny Gomes of all people!

I am getting tired of the Yanks allowing it to happen. Yes, beating the Boston and acting like it’s business as usual is the best way to win. Treating them like they don’t matter much burns them and fires up their massive Town vs. City inferiority complex. But I’m all for sending a  message here and there. I am hoping McCann let’s Big Papi know the next time the two clubs play that showing up a New York pitcher ain’t gonna happen on his watch. I want a little bit of the “Bronx Zoo” back. Goose, Nettles, Munson would have put Ortiz and his manicured beard in the ICU at Mass General.

I’m not looking for David to get injured mind you, but set him straight. He has meant a great deal to the city of Boston, the organization and Baseball…but in my opinion there is a reason a guy like Derek Jeter will receive a league-wide farewell tour and why Big Papi won’t. Sox fans (Hell, all fans really) despise ARod, and rightly so. But maybe Ortiz should ask himself after crushing a hanging slider out to the STOP & SHOP sign, “What would Alex do?” and then do the exact opposite.

You are better than that, Papi…aren’t you?


**Here’s the other “Boss” and a song for David Ortiz**






--Mike O'Hara, MLB Fan Cave Host, Season 1
   Twitter: @mikeyoh21
"Paulie was always my favorite player."


   

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