Return of the Papi: Red Sox slugger David Ortiz
scores following his homer against the Royals over
the weekend (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
With a little time to breathe during yesterday’s off day – when was the last time the Olde Towne Team drew vacation pay for a major national holiday? – the opportunity presented itself to clear some Red Sox lint from the ol’ cranial vent. Viz:
- David Ortiz is back. However he did it, he’s producing nearly like his old-time self, having just hit 10 (or more) home runs in a single month for the first time since August 2006, amassing 27 RBIs, and posting a batting average of .363, an OBP of .424, and a slugging percentage of .788. In a podcast recorded earlier today, Portland Sports Examiner Ken Main reveled in the way opposing pitchers are approaching the reborn slugger – which is to say, with reluctance – while your humble observer noted the big guy’s evidently improved conditioning. Catch the commentary soon on Fenway Dreams: Down on the Farm.
- Clay Buchholz is Sox Ace #1A. The young righthander is 3-0 with a 1.32 ERA in his last three outings, which culminated in a 1-0 victory on Saturday over the Kansas City Royals and last year’s AL Cy Young Award recipient Zack Greinke. The same podcast covers his rise to become the club’s Ace Number 1A, just a tick behind lefthander Jon Lester, who despite a miserable start to the season now stands at 6-2, 2.97 with 77 Ks and just 32 walks. If only John Lackey would return to his bulldog form, Daisuke Matsuzaka would quit bouncing between near-no-hitters and Class AA control, and Josh Beckett would get healthy and buy a map to home plate, well, then we’d really have something, wouldn’t we?
- Has anyone else noticed the return of “good seats still available” advertisements on the Red Sox telecasts? The sellout streak apparently is still intact – going on its 23rd year, it seems – but one wonders whether the promos pushing tickets are an indication that it may be nearing its conclusion. Haven’t seen those in many a year.
- Published reports say that Sox 3B/1B/DH Mike Lowell either will or won’t be going to Anaheim to take Kendry Morales’ roster spot after the latter broke his ankle celebrating a home run. It says here the fit is a very good one – not in the least because he’d be virtually free given that Boston probably would pick up most of Lowell’s salary just to clear its own roster logjam. But stranger things have – and haven’t – happened.
- Pity poor Jonathan Van Every. Acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates when injuries to Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron caused the Red Sox to run short of outfielders, yesterday he was traded back for minor league catcher Josue Peley. Let’s just hope he doesn’t develop a case of the bends after having been boosted and then dropped in the standings so quickly. Let’s also start the betting on who’s going to be sent to the Pirates later on as the “player to be named later” in the original transaction – perhaps one Josue Peley?
Don't Miss a Single Musing!
» Click "Subscribe" above and catch every column!
» Follow me on Twitter!
Click here for Examiner.com's coverage of the AL East
Comments