Tags
A-Rod, Big Papi, Boston Red Sox, David Ortiz, David Price, Juicing, PEDs
Sports Fans,
Long time contributor David Price (not the Sox pitcher) recently left a Comment on MillersTime website that I think should to be taken seriously and deserves considered and considerate responses.
Thanx.
David wrote:
I wasn’t going to write anything to prevent controversy but, being the conscientious Yankee fan that I am, I decided that perhaps now is a good time to remind the Red Sox diaspora and followers of our nations pastime, a ‘home truth’ or two concerning your beloved Big Papi.
As Mr. Ortiz finally enters the twilight of his controversial career and audiences around the country pay homage to his 24 years in the big leagues, the following post from CBS does present a valid argument which (I believe) still remains unanswered?
http://sports.cbslocal.com/2016/05/27/david-ortiz-ped-steroid-red-sox/
By contrast – and as everyone will remember – Alex Rodriquez, who was annihilated by MLB, supporters of the game and in some respects, his own management for alleged misdemeanors relating to PED’s. Time was served – the rest is history.
Amusingly at the time of Alex’s downfall, MLB’s self-imposed regulators of the game (i.e. Boston Red Sox fueled by their biggest ally – the infuriatingly biased and unwatchable ESPN) acted as Judge, Jury and executioner to what he had supposedly done. Who can forget that lowlife Ryan Dempster being instructed to pitch ‘behind’ Arod in 2013 with only Joe Giradi getting ejected for protesting? I recall the deranged Kurt Shilling broadcasting something along the lines of ‘Arod deserves what’s coming to him’!
So why is nothing EVER said by Sox fans about Big Papi being guilty of ‘juicing’? He owned up to it for goodness sake! Are sports fans – especially those in Boston – that fickle to believe what they want to believe regardless of fact? I just don’t get it? Aren’t these double-standards or am I losing my sanity?
As ever, it would be interesting to hear what those along ‘Yawkee Way’ or from the depths of despair in Southie have to say in response to my question. A reply of ‘Oh C’mon man – its Big Papa!’ will not suffice.
Sadly in this life, whoever you are, you can’t have it both ways.
Larry Longenecker said:
I’m a numbers guy, and it certainly looks suspicious, but I think he would have been caught by now if he is juicing.
Peter Shimm said:
It does looks suspicious. But Ortiz has never been associated with steroid peddlers like ARod and Bonds. ARod fully admitted to using steroids when he was offered immunity when the feds presented the evidence they had against him. There certainly have been players who have used PEDs who have gone unpunished, even lauded (maybe Biggio, maybe Piazza). But none of those players had solid connections with drug dealers. And neither does Big Papi. So there is no double standard. What goes around, comes around. ARod and Bonds are often described as jerks. People like that usually don’t get the benefit of the doubt.
David Price said:
Thank you for your Red Sox flavored, enlightening reply Mr. Shimm.
Forgive me Sir as we have never met, but I sense that you too suffer from the current epidemic of ‘Papi-itus’ and are looking through ‘Red Sox’ colored glasses by missing the exact point of my previous post?
Whether Ortiz has been associated with peddlers in the past or not, isn’t the question at hand. His rapid ascent from ordinary ‘no-body’ to ‘power hitter’ in a very short space of time most certainly is!
In this life there is hardly any ‘smoke without fire’ therefore like it or hate it; call it something resembling a Trump like scandal for all I care!, Ortiz failed an MLB related drug test in 2003. He cheated – he did something that was outside of the rules of the game – something not allowed – gaining an advantage illegally over another and confessed to it. By de facto doesn’t this make him as big a fraud as the likes of Alex Rodriquez, Barry Bonds and numerous others right? No?
Frustratingly at this time, the point that needs clarifying in my own English, ex-military Officer, well educated (certainly well-travelled) head is that it appears for reasons only known to themselves, Red Sox fans and their entourage of ESPN, Joe Buck, Fox Sports etc. will simply not accept Ortiz’s guilt of being an un-punished, admitted PED user. The reason for this being that Big Papi and other players of controversy are good for the game by getting people to the ballpark. Its simple economics. What makes a non-sense though (and in true Red Sox contrary fashion), the Fenway faithful always appear to be the first to point the finger at others within our sport that are convicted for atrocities of the same ilk? Who can really be that two-faced? Oh wait…..
My own gut feeling is that it has to be a Massachusetts thing? What else could it be? Hasn’t there been an ongoing issue over the years with how the Patriots in football or the Bruins in hockey routinely bend the rules?
In summary, the Boston Globe sums it up well in their post from 2015 about the grey cloud that has (and always will) overshadow Ortiz’s career. I expect him to receive nothing but hostility next week when the Sox are in town – he deserves it. I too will be shouting my hardest at him.
(https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/03/26/david-ortiz-still-haunted-failed-drug-test/Cvcd1E7am8OybqLpNA6uKP/story.html)
On a final note Sir, I would be very interested to hear who the chaps are who class ‘Arod or Bonds as Jerks’? Damn their eyes! NB: Boston 7th inning stretch lawyers need not reply.
Carrie said:
It reminds me of other incidents in life when some people are able to get away with things,
While others who do the same thing, seem to get terrible consequences
samuel clover jr said:
well said ms. carrie…It reminds me of a recent commentary in the Washington post on free carry gun states…the right to bear arms(Eugene Robinson)…perception some people are perceived as a threat,while the other is exercising their so call second amendment right…sports paralells life..what would sam say….