Pin the date: When does Papi break out/get benched

[jacksonianmarch]

Seems like some think this is just a slump. Others think this is the end. When does he get benched/out of this funk?

 

I say July 30th, after they acquire another bat capable of DHing

[Cocos Disciples]

I also think they get a bat before 7/31.

[Spudboy]

I also think they get a bat before 7/31.

 

What can be expected to be done about the deficit he creates until then?

[satch9841]

I also think they get a bat before 7/31.

Papi's problems may be deeper than a slump. I admire francona in a way for believing in papi. I believe in him too. But i thought terry should have sat ortiz down for a game or two starting 2 weeks ago. Now we are almost 6 weeks into the season and papi has cost the sox offense some real problems now. Today was embarrasing as ortiz goes 0-7 and 3 k's and a little tapper in the 12th. Our exclusive .200 club, namely ortiz and varitek, managed to end an inning 7 times today between them. Ortiz 5 times and tek 2 times in a 12 inning game. I think we are now past the point of a 1 or 2 game benching. I don't think ortiz confidence can get any lower. Simply put, the sox should have won today. My best guess is ortiz should get a couple days off and maybe look at more film of the good days and maybe some tests and xrays on his wrist might be in order to be sure it is healed properly.

If that doesn't work a trip to pawtucket is in order to iron out his problems. At this rate no way papi makes it to 7/31. He will be replaced in the lineup before then. Anyone for barry bonds?

[satch9841]

Papi's problems may be deeper than a slump. I admire francona in a way for believing in papi. I believe in him too. But i thought terry should have sat ortiz down for a game or two starting 2 weeks ago. Now we are almost 6 weeks into the season and papi has cost the sox offense some real problems now. Today was embarrasing as ortiz goes 0-7 and 3 k's and a little tapper in the 12th. Our exclusive .200 club, namely ortiz and varitek, managed to end an inning 7 times today between them. Ortiz 5 times and tek 2 times in a 12 inning game. I think we are now past the point of a 1 or 2 game benching. I don't think ortiz confidence can get any lower. Simply put, the sox should have won today. My best guess is ortiz should get a couple days off and maybe look at more film of the good days and maybe some tests and xrays on his wrist might be in order to be sure it is healed properly.

If that doesn't work a trip to pawtucket is in order to iron out his problems. At this rate no way papi makes it to 7/31. He will be replaced in the lineup before then. Anyone for barry bonds?

or maybe mike piazza if he's not retired? Almost anything would be better than ortiz right now.

[SCM33]

Ortiz is done, hes f***ing done....its not knee jerk, its not based on 1 performance, hes done....he has nothing left and almost anything is an improvement.....hes is atrocious, pathetic, poor at the dish. Its embarrassing at this point.

[Teddyballgame10]

I hope he'll break out but I dont know what to say at this point

[SCM33]

I hope he'll break out but I dont know what to say at this point

 

I applaud your support, and you are a true sox fan by throwing in that post, you are a supportive sox fan.....but,

The writing is on the walls, David Ortiz is done as a professional baseball player. Since the trade of Manny Ramirez, the findings in the steroids drama, the Manny Ramirez steroid results......Ortiz is finished. Hes been brutal. To throw further salt in the wound, who knows how old he truly is? Either way, hes over the hill, past his prime, cooked, yesterdays news........hes over and out, through.

[RHS]

June 5th.

[schillingouttheks]

or maybe mike piazza if he's not retired? Almost anything would be better than ortiz right now.

 

Chris Carter.

 

Why would you want Bonds when he has a perjury case hanging over his head?

[BigPapiEnFuego]

I'm confident something will eventually click in him. But honestly I don't know if that can happen. Looking at him hit now is different than in the past. He just can't seem to hit balls right. He still has bat speed it seems, but it just looks like he can't see the damn ball anymore. I don't know if they are able to send him to pawtucket, but if they are they should give him 2 or 3 days off, send him down, and see what happens there.

 

Also, he seems real out of shape. He's as fat as i've ever seen him. That could be part of the problem.

[satch9841]

Chris Carter.

 

Why would you want Bonds when he has a perjury case hanging over his head?

cris carter was my first thought after today's game, then i started thinking of someone who could produce some serious offense and thought of bonds. Has he been indicted yet? Frankly i can't remember. Jim edmonds is still available i think. He had decent #'s last year. I was surprised noone picked him up. I just keep seeing the poor at bats carter had early on. If he is doing well now, he is probably the best option for now.

[example1]

Ortiz will become a dangerous hitter again this year. He won't be David Ortiz dangerous, but he might be Mike Lowell dangerous. His plate control still seems solid, but he struggles to catch up to fastballs or make good contact with off speed pitches. Pitchers continue to work him carefully and I think he will have an OBP this year of .370 or so when all is said and done. Not horrible.

 

Let's be honest here folks, nobody suddenly becomes as bad as Ortiz is now. Not even if they stop taking steroids. There may be some linkage to steroids, or there may not, but his performance this season is filled to the brim with slump. In addition to whatever else (roids, age, Manny, injury), he's very, very cold. He will break out of it one way or another and will be better than the other options they will have for his spot.

[example1]

cris carter was my first thought after today's game' date=' then i started thinking of someone who could produce some serious offense and thought of bonds. Has he been indicted yet? Frankly i can't remember. Jim edmonds is still available i think. He had decent #'s last year. I was surprised noone picked him up. I just keep seeing the poor at bats carter had early on. If he is doing well now, he is probably the best option for now.[/quote']

 

Carter might be an option, but I just don't see them sending Ortiz down or trading for/signing guys of the Bonds or Edmunds mold. Edmonds because he's just not very good anymore, and Bonds because the Red Sox don't want to go near that kind of toxic PR. No way.

[jacksonianmarch]

Ortiz will become a dangerous hitter again this year. He won't be David Ortiz dangerous, but he might be Mike Lowell dangerous. His plate control still seems solid, but he struggles to catch up to fastballs or make good contact with off speed pitches. Pitchers continue to work him carefully and I think he will have an OBP this year of .370 or so when all is said and done. Not horrible.

 

Let's be honest here folks, nobody suddenly becomes as bad as Ortiz is now. Not even if they stop taking steroids. There may be some linkage to steroids, or there may not, but his performance this season is filled to the brim with slump. In addition to whatever else (roids, age, Manny, injury), he's very, very cold. He will break out of it one way or another and will be better than the other options they will have for his spot.

 

he still has plate discipline, I will give you that much. But he can't get around on a 90mph fastball. That's a problem if you are a MLBer. And I thought nothing showed his new form like the double off the monster he had a couple games ago. He smoked that thing, and it barely reached the monster. He's either hurt or finished IMO.

[BSN07]

As brutal as it has been watching Papi, I'm not throwing in the towel pre June. If June rolls around and he still can't catch up to a FB, then I believe him to be utterly done. Enough to the fact that if they can't trade him, they should eat the $ and release him out right.

 

In the very least the lineup should be shifted until he shows some sign of life.

[La mujer bonita]

This is the solution I'm leaning to right now, what the Yankees did with Wang: Make up something-anything-to get him out of the lineup. Do an MRI on the wrist and say something face-saving like it shows somethign questionable (maybe it does) and he's going back to Boston to have it looked at. DL him, give him a two-week breather, send him to Pawtucket to work on the swing, whatever. Just get him out of the national media spotlight and in the meantime, get someone who can be at least somewhat productive in the lineup (someone not named Barry Bonds, that is.)

 

I don't believe David Ortiz as a force is done-although I don't see the '03-'07 guy ever coming back-but he's killing this team right now and he knows it. Papi, we love you, man, but we all need a break, and I think in the end we'll be a lot better off for it.

[Mr Crunchy]

He left an entire division of base runners on yesterday.

his last 90 games could be summed up by that screaming 10 footer he hit in the 12th.

Lugo gets 4 hits pedroia gets 4 hits elsbury had 3 i think and the big man...0-7 with 11Lob.

Hes embarrasing himself and is killing this team in crucial situations.

Slumps are slumps,this guy is just simply terrible and in the 3hole with a contending team that wont cut it. They need to either move him down in the order or put his ass on the pine.

[a700hitter]

He needs to be moved down in the order-- 6th or 7th. He's not showing any sign of snapping out of this. It has grip on him and leaving 12 men on base will not help his mental state.

[das11209]

Never as long as Tito is managing.

[TheKilo]

He's already out of the lineup tonight.

 

Ortiz has to be given the chance to turn it around, frustrating as it is. Even though there's no real impact, can't really justify hitting him 3rd right now.

[BSN07]

He's already out of the lineup tonight.

 

Ortiz has to be given the chance to turn it around, frustrating as it is. Even though there's no real impact, can't really justify hitting him 3rd right now.

 

Finally. I'm all for letting him work it out. but not in the 3 spot every night. I'm glad to see Francona is giving him a mental day off. Last night must have been tough on the old ego.

[a700hitter]

He's already out of the lineup tonight.

 

Ortiz has to be given the chance to turn it around, frustrating as it is. Even though there's no real impact, can't really justify hitting him 3rd right now.

Why bench him tonight? A RHP with a 7.62 ERA is taking the hill for Seattle. He could be just what the doctor ordered for Ortiz.

[Lil D-Ped]

I think he might need to shorten his swing up

[BoSox21]

they might as well make up an injury and send him to Pawtucket

[TheKilo]

Ortiz will become a dangerous hitter again this year. He won't be David Ortiz dangerous' date=' but he might be Mike Lowell dangerous. His plate control still seems solid, but he struggles to catch up to fastballs or make good contact with off speed pitches. Pitchers continue to work him carefully and I think he will have an OBP this year of .370 or so when all is said and done. Not horrible. [/quote']

 

I completely disagree. The book is out on David - challenge him until he beats you. he hasn't done it all year so there's no reason to fear it happening.

 

He can't sustain such a high OBP with such a low SLG. His May numbers are putrid and it looks like he's lost up there.

 

Let's be honest here folks, nobody suddenly becomes as bad as Ortiz is now. Not even if they stop taking steroids.

 

Travis Hafner? Richie Sexson? Mo Vaughn? Cecil Fielder?

 

There may be some linkage to steroids, or there may not, but his performance this season is filled to the brim with slump. In addition to whatever else (roids, age, Manny, injury), he's very, very cold. He will break out of it one way or another and will be better than the other options they will have for his spot.

 

All depends on your definition of a "rebound". If you think he can still sport an .850-.900 OPS I think that's way too optimistic.

[redsoxrules]

I'm sorry, guys," Oritz said. "I don't feel like talking right now. Just put down, 'Papi stinks

[TheKilo]

Wonderful, it's in his head. He's defeated.

[satch9841]

Why bench him tonight? A RHP with a 7.62 ERA is taking the hill for Seattle. He could be just what the doctor ordered for Ortiz.

it's possible but ortiz has faced plenty of pitchers with ugly ERA'S. He needs to sit and use baldelli for now in the dh spot(haven't seen today's lineup). I have read ortiz is not in lineup tonight vs mariners.

If some time off doesn't work and ortiz is healthy, some time in pawtucket is in order. I truly don't believe ortiz is finished. In the back of my mind i keep thinking that his surgery may have altered his swing along with a seemingly slower bat.

[satch9841]

hopefully ortiz is not hurt and his problems are mechanical. But now it must be considered as to what his mindset is. It is very difficult to say for sure, but the loss of the torrid hitting youkilis hitting behind papi didn't help matters. I like bay in the 4 hole for now but youk commanded more respect from opposing managers and pitchers. I think baldelli is the best option for now at DH.