Is David Ortiz on the Juice?
The Red Sox are winning and winning, thanks to
the remarkable play of first baseman David Ortiz. So far this season, he has 31 home runs, not to mention eight in his last eight games. He may also be the most clutch hitter in baseball; you just don't want to pitch to David Ortiz with the game on the line.
But still...eight homers in eight games? 31 before the All-Star break?
If my favorite, Jason Giambi, were hitting at that clip, you know people would be asking the question: Is he on the juice? (Partly because, of course, he used to be.)
Giambi has 26 homers so far this year, and yes, people do ask the question....
So why not ask it of Ortiz?
After all, at a time when most baseball players have leveled off or start to decline—he's 32— Ortiz just keeps hitting better and better. In 2003, he had 31 homers; 41 in 2004; 47 in 2005; and if this pace keeps up, he's likely to wind up with over 60 this year. (In the three seasons before 2003, by the way, he had 10, 18, and 20 homers.)
I think Ortiz is a fantastic hitter, and I wish A-Rod was as timely. But still...
31 to 41 to 47 to 60? The arc of those numbers is suspicious, and so are the changes in Ortiz's body. It's a sad part of modern baseball that when a player's output jumps significantly, to astonishing levels, you have to ask the question:
Is David Ortiz on the juice?
David Ortiz as a rookie (his original
surname was Arias).
And now...
