Papi opens up on Manny, the MVP, and more

God bless you Papi. Thanks for all of your great years and hope next year is your best.

I've been fortunate to have had a couple of encounters with Big Papi and he is nothing but CLASS all the way. My son, wife and I had our picture taken with David the same night that he hit his 50th a couple of years ago at Fenway because he and the Red Sox were raising money for a cancer stricken little girl in the hospital. The way that Big Papi interacted with my son (who was 10 at the time) made a lifetime memory for him and my family. The next season we were able to obtain his autograph on a ball at the side of the Red Sox dugout in Toronto. AGAIN the man was first class all the way.

My hope is that David is not run out of Boston at the end of his career like so many other stars have been, after all this man helped in bringing us two, count them TWO championships. God bless you David and I hope your wrist is better next season and you get back to raking like you always have!

I agree. It's tough to have more than one player having career years on the same team at the same time. Dustin and Youk were studs this year. Next year I would like to see less home runs and more back to back to back Base Hits in an inning. Our hitters are good enough to cherry pick the long ball but make a living on singles and doubles. Forever a Red Sox fan.
Paul W, El Cajon California

I love this guy, he has that outlook that everyone should have.

I will have to try to listen to what he said about Manny.
I have read it three times and I have not idea what he is trying to say.

Not that I am against adding another power hitter. But as for the 30 home run hitter. Youkilis had 29 last year, I don't think it is a stretch he can hit over 30 next year. Between Ortiz, Bay and Youkilis is not bad power -

Ortiz just wants another big bat to protect him in the lineup. When Manny left and all throuout the playoffs, Ortiz was nothing close to the hitter he was when he had Manny hitting behind him because he's not getting those fastballs anymore. Youkilis had a good year, but when it comes down to it I would much rather face him than Ortiz. Ortiz knows he needs another big bat behind him or else he better pray he gets lucky and gets a hanger every once in a while.

Gotta love Papi, to everyone hating on him in other articles, this guy will be a beast next year, mark my words.

I don't think there was much difference with Papi's performance before Manny left and after Manny left. I think he just had an off year, struggling with the wrist.

Manny is the real thing because he worked hard during the off season each year to stay on top of his game and in good shape .. Big Papi, are you doing the same ?

Chris from New Jersey leave your comments on the Turnpike.....there's a reason there is no baseball team in the Garden State. The guy was playing with a bum knee and wrist yet did not complain once. He had a down year because he was hurt, unlike most other players that whine and cry and take WEEKS off(DL DREW). Who wouldn't want Texeria in their line up? Loook at all the other teams in the AL East, they are stacked. I hope he hits 40 home runs this year, you ungrateful fairweather fan.

David Ortiz is the most overrated player in recent baseball. He is a product of having the best hitter in the league batting behind him. He is an OK player who has huge numbers because of the pitching he saw with Manny behind him. He is saying they need another power bat because he needs someone to protect him, like Manny did.

The players the Red Sox "ran out of town" are the equivalent to a 20+ year old Mecedes Benz, with 200,000+ miles, dents, faded paint, rust holes, limping along on half the cylinders, tore up interior, with the headliner hanging down, that the owner wants $50,000 for. Over-priced & well past its prime.

In my opinion, the problem isn't with the heart of the order - it's with the bottom of the order. Varitek and Lugo (and then Lowrie later in the season) were automatic outs every time they came up. Lowrie started off great, but he was overmatched in the postseason.

With the quality of the pitching in the AL East going up and up and up with the ascention of the Rays, we've GOT to get more production out of the lineup from 1-9. It all starts with V-tek. I'm sorry, but the dude has GOT to go. We need a catcher who can at LEAST hold his own. I'm not even talking .300 - I'm talking high .200s. That's not V-tek anymore. We could deal with V-tek if we weren't also trying to bring along Lowrie AND Ellsbury, who both fell apart at the end - but with those two AND V-tek, you've got no shot at winning a high scoring game.

Man, I love that guy.

So much respect for Big Papi.

God forbid I ever become a red sox fan first of all James, and second everybody plays through injuries every year. They play 162 games after all, but it is a fact that Ortiz's numbers significantly dropped after Manny left. He is nothing like he was with Manny, thats why he wanted him so despeartely to stay. That and the fact he is the only one who coan understand a word he says. Just look at his numbers in Minnesota before he came to the Sox. He was an average hitter with good power and now that Manny is gone that's all he'll ever be.

God forbid I ever become a red sox fan first of all James, and second everybody plays through injuries every year. They play 162 games after all, but it is a fact that Ortiz's numbers significantly dropped after Manny left. He is nothing like he was with Manny, thats why he wanted him so despeartely to stay. That and the fact he is the only one who coan understand a word he says. Just look at his numbers in Minnesota before he came to the Sox. He was an average hitter with good power and now that Manny is gone that's all he'll ever be.

Papi said what he could about the Manny situation. Obviously manny had been promised some things that never materialized. The Red Sox thought the time was right to " go Nomar " on him and discredit him any way they could. Papi was right the Sox would have won it all with Manny.

Let's see, Manny was traded on July 31. Let's take a look at the numbers. David Ortiz's stats on August 1st: .261 average, .843 OPS, .356 OBP, .487 slugging.

David Ortiz's final stats for the full season: .264 average, .877 OPS, .369 OBP, .507 slugging.

Hmm. Seems they all went up from where they were on August 1, as opposed to "dropping significantly". What was that you were saying, Chris from NJ?

Ortiz may be a great guy, no question. The truth is the player you want to see will most likely never return. His bat speed is down and is very out of shape. He will have to adjust his game to put up good numbers again. When he says the Sox would have won with Manny, he is deflecting the truth. If Ortiz had any kind of a decent post season, the Sox would have won. Truth sometimes is hard to accept especially when you root for someone as gifted as Ortiz once was. He will continue to slide and will point fingers elsewhere besides himself. The Sox came within a game of getting back to the Series with virtually no production from Papi and an injured Lowell. Replace Papi with a solid bat and the Sox get back as long as the pitching performs. Sorry....great guy, but Sox should really try and move him. To many of you see the old Ortiz, not the current version.

Well obviously the loss of Manny's numbers has to impact a lineup, but I think Ortiz' problems this year were more the result of a snapped tendon sheath in his wrist. I'm no doctor, but I would think that would reduce your ability to hit. As far as Minnesota, they didn't recognize his power ability and told him to hit singles - when he came to Boston he was free to swing hard, and if he was late on a pitch it would just go over the left-field wall. Not to mention Papa Jack's hitting instruction... So it's too easy to say Manny is the reason for Papi's slump, reality's not that simple.

Chris from NJ - How do you explain Ortiz's horrible beginning to this season? He was hitting under .100 at one point. Yet, Manny's big bat was behind him. And Ortiz returned from his injury around the same time Manny left. His injury caused his bat to somewhat disappear, not Manny. Even he said that his injury forced him to develop some bad habits that affected his swing.

He's my Papi!!

Hey Jersey Jerk,
Ortiz
March thru July 226 ABs - 12 HRs - 47 RBIs - .274 avg
Aug thru Oct 183 ABs - 18 HRs - 42 RBIs - .262 avg

I prefer the post Manny numbers myself

hey tony, how you gonna compare yhe youk, bay and ortiz to manny.
none of this guys are even close to the haqll of fame.
manny can retire today and go right in. please, don't insult this man.
all he did was help red sox win two rings.

after reading this I am embarrassed to say that I am a Red Sox fan. You people don't deserve a winner.

Rico his numbers went up because your looking at a 2 month span. all he had to do was have a great week, which he did, and his numbers look good for those two months. His post season numbers were awful, and you can go ahead and look that up too if you want. Coming from a non-red sox fan by any means, the red sox would have won the world series in easy fshion if "big papi" would have even put up Jason Veritek's numbers. You sawx fans need to realize what Ortiz realized when they traded manny, he is an average player who was lucky enough to get in a good situation.I agree with Chris from NJ, just look at his numbers in Minnesota.

Papi hit 330 in 2007, how quickly we forget. Obviously injuries played a part in his lack luster season. Just as injuries have played a part in hundreds of thousands of other players having sub par seasons through the years. It happens! YOU DON'T WRITE OFF A GUY ONE YEAR AFTER HE BATS 330. Also I don't have to remind you that Manny didn't play for the final month of the 2006 season when Big Papi was the most clutch player in baseball. Coming up with big hit after after big hit without Manny.

I am a Yankees fan who hates the Sox and hopes Big Papi breaks his leg Adalius Thomas style. What I hate even worse is people who don't make sense.

Big Papi's numbers may decline from here on in. Lets face it....the dudes is big....Mo Vaughn big. I love him and all, but we need to start thinking post Papi era. Lars Anderson should be groomed as his replacement. We got Papi for a couple of more years. I dont think we should trade him, but I also dont think an extension is in order. As for his coment about wanting another 30+ homerun hitter on the club, who wouldnt. I would love to have Tex on this club.

Mike - "Ortiz is going to be a beast next year"
Keep dreaming! This guy is washed-up.

You people bashing Ortiz DO realize that in the years 03, 04 and half way through 05, Ortiz batted 4th, and Manny was 3rd? Ortiz had Nixon hitting behind him during that time. For the love of god the guy had an off year because of an injury. QUIT BASHING ORTIZ!!!!

If Papi goes 0 for the rest of his career, he's still "The Man"........

PAPI PAPI PAPI

I love Big Papi, one of the nicest guys in the game. To fans, to the team, to kids, God bless you, you are a great human being - more people should be like you.
How quickly we forget that this man has hit something like 13 walk off's, in his time with Boston, some of those walk off's were very key.
League leading, NO ONE HAS EVER DONE THIS BEFORE!
On any team, at any time.
He had a bad year with knee and wrist.
You are all ready to throw him under the bus, because he had 1 bad year.
Papi, I hope you comeback in 09 and kick butt.
Make everyone of these idiots eat their words.

Hey,

"YOU DON'T WRITE OFF A GUY ONE YEAR AFTER HE BATS 330.". Well, when stricter drug testing is in place and many players tail off at the same exact time, then you have to think about writing off a bunch of 30 somthings, like we used to do in the 80's and early 90's. 330 was a fluke, as his lifetime average is will below that.

He had his streak in Boston and now he is on the other end of that. No more 55 HR seasons. 25HR is more realistic moving forward.

Does anyone remember in 2004 Manny was not protecting him because he was batting cleanup. Look at the highlights of all those walkoff hits in playoffs. Manny was on base most of the time including 2R HR in game 7 ALCS 1st inning.

Sam L.: Chris from NJ stated that "Ortiz's numbers significantly dropped after Manny left". I demonstrated that they did not, they actually went up slightly. Which, last time I looked into the matter, was actually the opposite of "significantly dropped". Which part of this is difficult to grasp?

ORTIZ!!!! YOU ARE A PIECE OF SHIT!!
iF MANNY WAS REALLY YOUR FRIEND YOU SHOULDN'T GO PUBLIC WITH YOUR PRIVATE CONVERSATION WITH HIM!!!!
BUT SINCE U DID SHIT AND HE IS BETTER THAN YOU YOU HAVE TO USE HIS NAME TO BE IN THE PRESS!!!!
YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOUR SELF TO BE CALLED HIS FRIEND!!!!!!!