September 29, 2005

G159: Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 4

Papi.

Ian Browne, MLB.com:
By delivering what was easily their biggest win of the season, a tense 5-4 victory over the Blue Jays, the Red Sox can now clinch a tie in the American League East by taking two out of three from the Yankees this weekend. They can win the division outright with a sweep.

To get to that point, the Red Sox needed the latest batch of magic from David Ortiz, who tied it with a homer in the eighth inning and then won it in the bottom of the ninth with a walk-off single to left field, setting up a mob scene of white jerseys on the right side of the infield.

Yet again, Ortiz delivered with the game -- and perhaps the season -- on the line.

6 comments:

Robin said...

My children will know his name.

"He's good daddy... Is he as good as Ortiz?" They will ask.

Anonymous said...

While we should all expect the NY sporting press to put forth a passionate case for the preening A-Rod as AL MVP, is their any doubt in any educated minds that Ortiz is the rightful choice?

Kudos to Lou Pinella, the former and possibly future pinstriper himself, for firing a thinly disguised volley on the issue toward the leering press last week. He stated that the DH "is a position played in our league", one that is as deserving as any other for producing an MVP. Sweet Lou, indeed.

Sure, A-Rod has finally shown what a team should expect for $252M, the GNP of many small nations. With the rare exception of his HR in Baltimore on Wednesday night that tied the O's at 1-1, we've seen that the lion's share of his production tends to come when the NYY are up by a touchdown or more.

In comparison, is there anyone in the game in recent (or distant) memory who has proven himself so formidable as Ortiz when the game is on the line in the late innings?

When he has been called upon to play 1B, his fielding chops have proven to be quite respectable, more Olerudian than Millaresque (just ask Jeff Suppan). Those that see Ortiz as a one-dimensional player (all hit, sans glove) due to his limitations in the field are sadly misinformed, and most likely own a phone number with a 212 area code.

Robin's post was poignant. My two college-age sons, both of whom I've inflicted with the Sox virus, started to call me Big Papi after last year's title (even when they're not asking for money).

It always makes me smile...

Anonymous said...

Yaz-tec, you obviously have never watched a Yankee game. A-ROD has had plenty of big hits this year for the Yanks . And I will be the first to admit Big Papi is the one man I would want up with the game on the line, but if he had to play first base for 150 games I bet the Sox would be no closer than five games out. AROD will win a gold glove this year and has saved many games with his glove. While Big Papi does cross word puzzles while his team is on the field, AROD actually contributes to his team. I love Big Papi, I really do. Wish he was on the Yanks. But I cannot see a guy who plays half the game winning MVP

From the Vined Smithy said...

Unless, say, more than 40% of his home runs tied the game or put his team ahead...but that's a ridiculous id...oh.

Valuable.

Anonymous said...

I must admit, james, that via the twin wonders of DirectTV and MLB EI, I have found it fairly easy to catch a Yankee game on YES, where as an option to a cooking show or documentary on the mating habits of the Icelandic chipmunk, I've been priveleged to watch the prodigous talents of the mighty A-Rod.

One fact remains to be proven on his resume (if not in his wallet: does Rodriguez, like Ortiz, make those around him better by virtue of his performance and presence in the line-up?

Looking at the record to-date, it's hard to make that statement. Even the most single-minded Yankee fan knows that A-Rod's two former teams - Seattle and Texas - had the best years in the history of their respective franchises the year AFTER A-Rod left the team.

Michael Kay's incessant whining not withstanding, A-Rod's greatest impact on the Yankees to-date was his featured role in last year's ALCS Bronx implosion, the largest collapse in MLB history.

When the game is no longer on the line and you need one guy to help your rotisserie team's OPS, give me Alex The Wonder Boy. However, when you look at which player has proven his ability to step up when the game is on the line, A-Rod couldn't carry Papi's jock.

If nothing else, Oritz can help you with your next crossword when you need a five-letter word synonymous with the 2004 Yankees.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget how much of A-rod's production, as Bill Simmons mentioned in yesterday's article, takes place when the Yankees are already up by 4 or 5 runs. It really does seem that Slappy turns into another player when the game simply doesn't matter at all.

He's not a leader, he's just a little punk. Ortiz helps his team by not playing defense, that's plain and simple.