Written for Latino Sports (www.latinosports.com)
Thursday, 09 June 2011
El Bronx – Latino Sports “MAN OF THE YEAR,” David “Big Papi” Ortiz’s two run homer on Tuesday got him into an ego driven drama that made some of the protagonists interpreting Ortiz’s gesture as worthy of practically spilling blood. Ok, a little exaggeration here. The way it was described by Ian Browne of MLB.com Boston, “The big slugger flipped his bat emphatically to the side and did a bit of a pirouette, before savoring his trot around the bases.”
Now, some Latinos may want help pronouncing the word pirouette and may even look it up for its definition. Anyone seeing and hearing Yankee skipper Joe Girardi comment on the incident may want to take a second take on the definition of the word “ire.” Why? Because the title of Mr. Browne’s article was: “Big Papi’s swagger draws Girardi’s ire.” And if what Girardi displayed was ire, then some day if he really gets pissed off, he may make Terry Collins’ recent display of anger at his Mets losing ways look like loving tenderness and compassion.
Still, the swagger of Big Papi caused many in the media bring up the “flipping of the bat” and the “bit of pirouette,” after the Yankees Tuesday 6-4 loss, not only to Girardi but to several players as well. For one, Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was asked and he simply said he did not see it.
After the Wednesday game the Yankees would lose 11-6, Latino Sports caught up with Big Papi and asked him if he would like to comment on the situation and he laughed and gestured as if to say enough of it and said “Turn the page.” When asked if he expected anything the next day, he asked, “Like what?” When told he may be brushed back or hit by a pitch, he said, “We got pitchers too, who throw very, very hard.”
The question Latino Sports asked Big Papi came as a result of hearing commentaries prior to the Wednesday game on the bat flipping scenario by two of New York’s sports-talk radio stations. One, or both called for retaliation in the form of having Big Papi get hit by a pitch. One predicted that if A.J. Burnett did not do in his outing on the second game of the series, it would most likely be done by C.C. Sabathia in the third and final game of the 3-game set.
As it turned out A.J. Burnett did not do it and not only got hit hard giving up 8 runs (7 earned) in 5.2 innings on 7 hits (4 walks, 3 strikeouts) but gave up a two-run homer to Big Papi on the top of the first inning.
Eventually, he was asked again by another reporter, “Did you feel at your first a bat you would get drilled, because Joe Girarldi said he was upset…” Ortiz said, “I don’t care what Joe Girardi said, I come to play the game every day, so enough with that…” If we cross that line we take it like a man.”
However, and In fact, this much was admitted by the talk-show hosts on ESPN 1050 A.M. radio: Ortiz is well liked by many Yankee players (maybe not all pitchers) and in fact skipper Giraldi said, "I've never had a problem with David Ortiz. This guy has been a clutch player for a long time. My reaction is probably more to protect our young kid. That's what I'm going to do." (Referring to Hector Noesi for which a swaggering Ortiz would not likely doom the young pitcher).
Great, not by having one of his pitchers throw at him. But if this madness were to come to its conclusion it would be C.C. Sabathia on Thursday’s finale. If not, it was just good fabricated drama, good for some of the media to entertain fans between games at the expense of a Latino who has been a thorn on the side of the Yankees: As if to say that Ortiz’s bat flipping has added insult to injury. “I have bat flipped my entire career. I just don’t do it that often,” said Ortiz, as if to imply what is the big deal.
What seems to be a real big deal is that Big Papi is back to his Old’ days: Coming to the second game of the series batting .324, 14 homers and 32 RBI.
Additionally, one other thing that has been a constant with David “Big Papi” Ortiz has been his congeniality on and off the field. His availability to the Press, to fans and his support for community: this has earned him the LATINO MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD; as a person of integrity.
