Thoughts on yesterday’s Yankee loss, and why I feel sorry for David Ortiz

I guess I should be bummed out that the Yanks couldn’t get the job done in extra innings yesterday, but I’m not all that upset over the loss. It’s hard to complain too much when the Yanks went 8-2 in this homestand. And at least CC Sabathia continued to pitch well.

However, the fact that the Red Sox only won one of three this weekend, and still slid into first place, does tick me off. And it’s funny that my predictions for both series ended up being more accurate for the Mets than the Yankees!

Speaking of Boston, I do feel sorry for the woeful David Ortiz, even though I strongly suspect – thanks in no small part to him hiring Angel Presinal as a trainer – that he’s gotten some “help” in the past. The once-proud, ebullient player looks like a broken man. That’s how pathetic Ortiz has been at the plate – even Yankee fans feel bad for him!

I see that there’s talk about moving Big Papi, who bats third in the lineup, further down in the lineup. Sounds like hitting coach Dave Magadan and manager Terry Francona are going to talk about it, and consult Ortiz. You mean you actually inform your team’s superstar that you’re going to move him down in the lineup? I thought the standard – and “classy” – thing was to move your struggling star to eighth in the lineup, and not tell him about it beforehand. And then gripe when reporters ask you about it.

When I was growing up, I heard from my brothers about how sad it was when Willie Mays was stumbling around the outfield in the 1973 World Series. But Mays was 42 then. Ortiz is only 33.

Is Ortiz’s career over? I don’t want to say yes, but his slump has been going on since last season. When Brett Gardner has more homers than Ortiz, that isn’t a good sign.

Now I’m going to throw a gratuitous Jonathan Papelbon slam out there. In addition to him throwing a fit when he didn’t like an ump’s call in Saturday’s game, I saw this pic on Sliding Into Home, where Pap’s vacant stare seems to suggest he’s aiming to replace Spencer Pratt on “The Hills.” Yeah, I went there.

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