David Ortiz News: Pro Sports Daily

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January 3

Boston Herald

columnist John Tomase

"Jason Bay's departure and the resultant hole it leaves in the lineup means the fate of the Red Sox offense in 2010 may rest on a familiar pair of shoulders - David Ortiz'. This wouldn't have even been worth mentioning in seasons past, when Ortiz was so clearly the face of the offense, it was as obvious as the stitched 'B' on his cap. Times have changed, of course. For one, the Red Sox entered 2010 with more uncertainty about their offense than at any other time during Theo Epstein's tenure. Gone are Bay and his 36 home runs. Presumably soon to be gone are Mike Lowell and his .290-17-75 numbers in part-time duty. Long gone is Manny Ramirez, once Ortiz' partner in crime in the middle of the ..."

Big talk with Papi in D.R.

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December 6

Boston Herald

"David Ortiz leaned back into a red, semicircular couch plopped near the 13th tee of the Punta Espada Golf Course, just 20 yards or so from the crashing surf. Spreading out his arms on the back of the couch and stretching out his legs, Ortiz let out a huge sigh. "I'm just living la vida loca, man," Ortiz said, laughing softly at the thought - and its truth. The Red Sox designated hitter spent the morning getting up and down from the couch, which has to keep getting moved to stay in the shade of a sponsor's tent that also tends to everyone's assorted liquid needs. Ortiz greets each foursome that plays through, poses for pictures with the golfers, jokes with them, dispenses a few hugs. The ..."

Tough market may leave Sox at status quo

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December 1

MLB.com

"As they dissect the current state of affairs on the Hot Stove market, the Red Sox are left with a lot of unknowns. This, thanks to a less-than-spectacular class of available free agents and the unpredictability that comes with trying to engage other teams in a blockbuster trade, which could bring the likes of Roy Halladay or Adrian Gonzalez to Boston. But, if you fast forward to next year at this time, general manager Theo Epstein and his crew of assistants will be in a far more enviable spot, one that could land them major stars who may have the impact that the Yankees felt from CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett en route to a 2009 World Series championship. This doesn't mean ..."

Ortiz says Sox need to power up

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November 20

Boston Globe

"David Ortiz suggested around this time last year that the Red Sox needed more power in their lineup. As he recalled, the advice was not treated with sufficient respect. "Everybody was looking at me like I was a clown,'' Ortiz said yesterday at Fenway Park, dropping an expletive to make his point. "I said we needed another 30-home run hitter. Everybody was talking trash. There you go. Now what?'' Now the Red Sox are looking to make adjustments to a team that won 95 games but finished eight games behind the Yankees in the American League East. Jason Bay, who led the team with 36 homers and 119 RBIs, entered free agency today. In Ortiz's mind, the Red Sox need to retain Bay and add another ..."

Ortiz wants another bat

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November 20

Boston Herald

"David Ortiz and the Red Sox shared a similar vision last year. They both thought they needed another big bat and then the team swung and missed at Mark Teixeira. This year, that vision has not changed a bit for Ortiz. "I said that a year ago and everybody looked at me like I was a (expletive) clown," Ortiz said yesterday at Fenway Park. "I said, 'Yo, we need another 30 home run hitter guy.' 'What? You crazy?' This and that, everyone talking crap. There you go. Now what? "Everybody will always welcome a 30 home run hitter. At any time, any day, any situation. You want to compete with those guys across the street? You better bring it. Period." And no matter who the Sox get to play left field ..."

No Papi jinx for Yanks

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November 8

New York Post

columnist Kevin Kernan

"I'm in depths of a silent Yankee Stadium, standing by the hole where they dug up that David Ortiz "curse jersey" from out of the cement in April 2008, only 35 steps from the visiting clubhouse. The hole is two feet deep and three feet wide with three pieces of rebar crisscrossing the space. There is a guard rail set up so visitors can take a peek, making this a miniature Grand Canyon, Yankee Stadium style. Everyone knows the story: A Red Sox fan who was working construction buried the jersey, thinking it would put a jinx on the new Yankee Stadium. Mystique and aura were not going to make themselves a home here like they did across the street. The curse never set. The Yankees found out ..."

David Ortiz swings by

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November 3

Boston Herald

"Theo Epstein has since said the words weren't meant as a shot across the bow, but they sure came across that way. At the Red Sox' season-ending press conference, the general manager directed the following at David Ortiz: "If he's going to be the DH on this team, we need him to be a force." Yesterday during a promotional stop at Reebok headquarters, Ortiz offered his reaction. "He's right," Ortiz said. "I've got to be a force. He's right about that. It's all good. Come out next year and do my thing. That's it." Suffice it to say, this is a huge offseason for Ortiz, and he knows it. Though his final numbers - 28 home runs and 99 RBI - were more than respectable, they were short of what the ..."

David Ortiz took basic way out of slump

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October 11

Los Angeles Times

"Everything about David Ortiz is super-sized. From his left-handed swing, which cuts through the air like a plane's propeller, to the majestic home runs it produces. From his megawatt smile to his muscular 230-pound (wink, wink) frame. Clearly "Big Papi" didn't come by his nickname by accident. So it seems only natural that the first prolonged slump of Ortiz's career should be gargantuan as well. The former American League home run champion waited more than six weeks for his first long ball this spring. Two months into the season, he was batting .185 with only the one home run and 18 runs batted in. "I tried everything," Ortiz said. "I was about to start hitting right-handed, just to see if ..."

David Ortiz not down until final out

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October 10

Boston Herald

"In a world filled with pessimism, David Ortiz is an optimist. Adrift in a sea of doubters, he believes. It is how he gets through life, and perhaps more importantly, it is how he gets things done. All season long, Ortiz has had cautionary words for all those who were ready to bury him and now seem ready to bury his team. When he was hitting .100, he told them. When he was mired so long around .218, he told them. When he had only 18 RBI after 47 games, he told them. Yesterday, with the Red Sox not in the catbird seat against the Los Angeles Angels, as they seemingly had been since the baseball was first invented, he told them again. "Everybody knows that this is not an easy game to play," ..."

Big Papi's bat is alive and well for Red Sox

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October 9

Florida Today

"David Ortiz is fond of saying, "It's not how you start, it's how you finish." For the first two months of the season, that bromide was about all the Boston Red Sox designated hitter had going for him.Ortiz endured a brutal early slump. His failure to hit his first home run for several weeks - until May 20 - became daily fodder of sports talk and highlight shows. By June 6, he was batting .188 with that solitary home run and 20 RBI. Hoping to take pressure off him, manager Terry Francona dropped him to sixth and later seventh in the lineup. A Boston Herald column advised the Red Sox to make a more drastic move and release him and eat the rest of his contract, which runs through next season ..."

David Ortiz relishes postseason glare

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October 7

Boston Herald

columnist Sean McAdam

"When it comes to performing the best when the games mean the most, there's no accounting for a player's performance. Ted Williams, whom some label The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived, was far from great (.200, one RBI) on the one occasion he reached the World Series. Carl Yastrzemski, who spent much of his four-decade career with the Sox attempting to escape Williams' shadow, outdid his mentor in the postseason, hitting a robust .369 with four homers and 11 RBI in 17 games. But Yaz was the exception to the Red Sox' rule. From Hall of Famers to batting champions, Sox stars often flopped on the big stage, which helps explain, as much as anything the team's 86-year championship drought, ..."

Comeback or not, Ortiz in fine form

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October 5

Boston Globe

"As the end of the season approached, David Ortiz altered his wardrobe. Almost every day before games, he wore a navy blue sleeveless Reebok T-shirt. In white lettering across the chest, it read, "Don't call it a comeback.'' The shirt served as an unspoken reminder about the narrative of Ortiz's arduous regular season, which ended yesterday with the Red Sox' 12-7 victory over Cleveland and with Ortiz peaking as the playoffs begin."

Improbable dream? Ortiz is back

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September 26

Boston Globe

"If David Ortiz is not back to his old self - gregarious and grinning in the clubhouse, mashing home runs in the batter's box - then he is awfully close. Ortiz, who last night belted his 27th home run, off Yankees starter Joba Chamberlain in the sixth inning, is closing in on benchmarks that seemed unthinkable after the first two months of the season, when his average hovered below .200 and his brooding walks back to the dugout became painful to watch. When Ortiz looks back over his tumultuous season, he can pinpoint the moment everything changed."

To Enjoy Game Again, Ortiz Plays It as if He Were a Boy

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September 26

New York Times

"David Ortiz was the once-ferocious hitter who could not hit anymore. His futile games grew into dreadful weeks and left the Boston Red Sox wondering if he would ever be formidable again. In April and May, Ortiz managed one home run. When Ortiz was beyond weary about being unproductive, he decided it could not hurt him to try to morph into a carefree 12-year-old. Ortiz said he woke up one morning and told himself "to act like I'm in Little League." Ortiz wanted to act like a Little Leaguer because, he said, Little Leaguers "just go and play baseball, that's it." That is what Ortiz wanted to do, just go and play. So he stopped taking extra batting practice, stopped obsessing over videotapes ..."

Ortiz has done level best

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September 24

Boston Globe

"After the season's first two months, when the notion of David Ortiz reaching 100 RBIs seemed unthinkable, Red Sox manager Terry Francona believed something few others did: Ortiz was still Ortiz, and his season could - and would - be salvaged. Ortiz would have to live with an unsightly batting average, Francona figured, but his other numbers, by year's end, could still be worthy of respect. As the end of the regular season draws near, Ortiz is approaching benchmarks the first portion of his year had seemingly put out of reach. After Ortiz drove in a season-high four runs last night - three on a 418-foot homer into Kauffman Stadium's fountains - he is sitting at 88 RBIs, 12 shy of triple ..."

Papi returns to power

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September 24

Boston Herald

"Only a few years ago, on his way to setting a single-season franchise record for home runs, David Ortiz hit his 25th homer on July 1. This season, the designated hitter's home run output was all but nonexistent for the first two months. But Ortiz has since made up for lost time. Last night, he launched his 25th homer of 2009, a mammoth belt into the fountains beyond right-center field at Kauffman Stadium - estimated at 418 feet - to give him more homers (24) than anyone in the American League since June The homer was part of a four-RBI night for Ortiz, matching a season high, in a 9-2 thrashing of the Kansas City Royals. Ortiz also had a run-scoring single in the Sox' six-run fifth ..."

Big Papi ties Big Hurt for homers as DH

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September 9

MLB.com

"Tying Frank Thomas for the most home runs all-time by a designated hitter wasn't even a thought in David Ortiz's mind when he strolled to the plate to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning on Tuesday night. Fresh off a 2-for-22 road trip through St. Petersburg and Chicago, the veteran slugger was more interested in rediscovering a power stroke that had deserted him in recent weeks. Then came a 2-2 fastball from Baltimore reliever Bob McCrory, who within moments turned and watched as Big Papi's first big fly since Aug. 26 soared toward center field for a solo blast. In the process, Ortiz made a little history, belting his 269th career homer as a DH to match Thomas -- though he didn't ..."

David Ortiz' bat on upswing

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September 2

Boston Herald

"When David Ortiz [stats] recalls the dark days of April and May, when just making solid contact at the plate felt like a moral victory, when Red Sox [team stats] fans felt compelled to provide ovations for hard-hit outs, he can finally smile. For Ortiz, it seems like a long time ago, which makes his stunning turnaround over the last three months all the more remarkable. In April and May, he was one of the easiest outs in the league, wildly chasing pitches out of the strike zone and gazing passively at pitches over the middle of the plate. Since June 6, however, only one hitter in the American League - Kendry Morales (22) of the Angels - has more homers than Ortiz (21). And only two - ..."

Pena gives up walk-off HR to Ortiz; Konerko calls for smart play

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August 27

Chicago Sun-Times

"It's becoming routine: ''Sweet Caroline'' plays at Fenway Park in the eighth inning, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen points to his bullpen for fresh meat, and before you know it, you have another National Lampoon comedy in a series with so much at stake. Problem is, no one's laughing in the White Sox clubhouse. After Scott Linebrink served up late-game batting practice in Tuesday's loss to the Red Sox, Tony Pena was the White Sox' latest reliever-and-a-prayer, allowing David Ortiz to turn a well-played ballgame into another heartbreaking walkoff loss, this time by a 3-2 score. And this came a day after Sox outfielder Scott Podsednik said it's time ''to start taking the field with a little ..."

Ortiz wins it with walk-off homer

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August 27

Boston Herald

"It was turn back the clock night at Fenway. Tim Wakefield dialed the way-back machine to sometime in April or May. David Ortiz then strapped himself into the "way back" machine and set his destination for 2006. The result was one of the most entertaining Red Sox games of the season, a 3-2 win against the White Sox that featured a virtuoso performance from Wakefield in his return from injury, and Ortiz' first walkoff homer in nearly two years. "It's great," said Wakefield, deflecting praise to Ortiz. "You're getting into late August and starting September in a week or so. It's good to have big hits like that. Especially from him.""

Hot hitter becomes a sitter

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August 24

Boston Globe

"No sooner did David Ortiz get hot at the plate - to the tune of .393 with 5 homers, 4 doubles, and 13 RBIs in his last 8 games - than he got a seat on the bench last night with CC Sabathia on the mound for the Yankees. Instead of Ortiz as the designated hitter, that role went to Mike Lowell, as manager Terry Francona continued the dance of players and positions that began with Victor Martinez's arrival in Boston. Ortiz didn't appear overjoyed before the game, saying, "I guess he's got to do it. He's got to play pretty much everyone. It's just the way it's going to be.'' Asked if it made it any easier that the opposing starter was the lefty Sabathia, against whom he is hitting .304 (7 for ..."

Numbers lately are making for a better Ortiz balance sheet

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August 23

Boston Globe

columnist Bob Ryan

"In the midst of the 15 hits that produced the runs in yesterday's table-turning 14-1 Red Sox conquest of the New York Yankees, one hit mattered more than the other 14. Bottom of the first: Dustin Pedroia on third, Victor Martinez on first, two away in a scoreless game. David Ortiz drills a double to left, scoring both men. Papi looked like a very happy man when he arrived out there in the middle of the diamond. He knew what he had done. Nothing buoys a team more than a two-out RBI, and the Red Sox took the cue, scoring 13 runs after two were out. Only a one-out solo homer by Alex Gonzalez in the second kept them from a perfect two-out day."

Big Papi, BoSox Get Right In A Hurry

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August 23

New York Post

"No matter what problems the Red Sox have had, they now know they own A.J. Burnett at Fenway Park and that David Ortiz is back to being a slugger. Ortiz's first-inning at-bat was the key to this debacle. Burnett threw a floating curveball that Ortiz hammered off the Green Monster to knock in two runs to ignite the Red Sox' 14-1 wipeout of the Yankees yesterday. Ortiz homered in the fifth over the Monster on a pitch away, a blast that had Burnett talking to himself as he melted down in front of 37,277 fans. Burnett has had three outings at Fenway this season and has been hammered each time. His Fenway ERA this season is 14.21. He allowed a career-high nine runs over five innings yesterday. ..."

Surge by Ortiz has given the offense some pop

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August 20

Boston Globe

"During the most trying season of his career, David Ortiz remains a catalyst for the Red Sox, a fact not lost on them last night. In the second inning, Ortiz walked to the plate in a scoreless game. Roy Halladay hung a breaking ball. Ortiz laced a line drive that eked over the right-field wall. The Sox knew it meant more than just one run on the scoreboard. "When we go well, he's usually right in the middle of it,'' Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan said. "As he goes, we seem to go, too.'' Ortiz's home run served as the surest sign of a Red Sox victory as there is this year. In games Ortiz has homered, the Red Sox are 17-2, which includes their 6-1 win last night over Halladay and the Blue ..."

Papi finds comfort zone

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August 20

Boston Herald

"David Ortiz was not seated at a table in a crowded press conference last night, and he did not have Players Association bigshot Michael Weiner at his side. As for the reporters gathered around his locker following the Red Sox]' 6-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, we're talking six, maybe seven people - not the hundreds who showed up at Yankee Stadium Aug. 8 wanting to know what David Ortiz knew about steroids and when he knew it. And this is surely the way Ortiz would prefer things to be. Having hit a home run off Blue Jays starter Roy Halladay in the second inning - making it three straight games in which he has knocked one out of the park - Big Papi was happy just to ..."

Ortiz blasts away

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August 15

Boston Globe

"With David Ortiz "hitting like [expletive],'' as he put it yesterday, the designated hitter was dropped to seventh in the batting order for the first game of the Red Sox' series against the Rangers. That's lower than he was dropped during his struggles at the beginning of the season."

Coming down on Papi

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August 15

Boston Herald

"David Ortiz' awful 2009 season, marked by batting slumps on the field and accusations of performance-enhancing-drug use off it, suffered another blow yesterday, when he was dropped to No. 7 in a Red Sox' lineup that is without Kevin Youkilis until Tuesday. A lock at No. 3 throughout his Red Sox career - May 24, 2003, was his last start at No. 7 or lower - Ortiz was moved because of a lengthy slump to the No. 6 spot in late May, 40 games into the season. Eventually he was elevated to the No. 5 spot and then No. 4 for most of July, and back again to No. 5 after Victor Martinez' arrived on Aug. 1. But his drop in the order this time reflected the team's pressing need for more offense. Ortiz, ..."

Bronson Arroyo still takes supplements, says fans shouldn't care about A-Rod or David Ortiz

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August 14

New York Daily News

"Bronson Arroyo says he doesn't care what Alex Rodriguez or David Ortiz or anyone else puts into their bodies - and that no one else should either. Which is why, Arroyo says, he continues to enthusiastically take supplements he knows are not approved by Major League Baseball - positive drug tests, negative health effects or public backlash be damned. "I do what I want to do and say what I want to say," the Cincinnati Reds righthander said in a USA Today report Thursday. "But society has made this such a tainted thing. The media has made it where people look at it in such a super-negative light. I've always been honest. I'm not going to stop now." And why should he? Arroyo pitched a ..."

Papi just says no to 'roids

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August 9

Boston Herald

"Breaking his silence on the topic some 10 days after a report linked to him a list of 104 players who tested positive for banned substances in survey testing some six years ago, Red Sox [team stats] designated hitter David Ortiz yesterday maintained that he never bought or used steroids and that any failed test was likely the result of his "careless" use of supplements and vitamins. Flanked by incoming Players Association executive director Michael Weiner, and with his father Enrique and manager Terry Francona standing by to offer support, Ortiz gave an opening statement, then answered questions in a session that lasted more than a half hour. "I definitely was a little bit careless back in ..."

Government must tell us what triggered positive test for Red Sox slugger David Ortiz

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August 9

New York Daily News

columnist Mike Lupica

"Not all performance-enhancing substances in baseball are created equal - or equally dirty - despite recent headlines. Neither are all positive drug tests. So if you tell me a guy tested positive and don't tell me what he was taking - only the United States government is supposed to know that for sure - it's like telling me somebody got arrested and not saying for what. David Ortiz said Saturday he never used steroids, that it was vitamins and over-the-counter supplements that turned him into a positive test from baseball's survey testing year, in 2003. Maybe Ortiz is just another caught guy lying about that. But it is just as likely that Ortiz is telling the truth. The government seized ..."

BALCO chemist says David Ortiz's supplement tale feasible

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August 9

New York Daily News

"The chemist who created the undetectable steroid THG ("the clear") says it's feasible that David Ortiz's inclusion on baseball's Scarlet Letter list may have been caused by a steroid-spiked supplement that was legal in 2003. Patrick Arnold, who did prison time for his role in the BALCO scandal, said it's possible Ortiz took 19-norandrostenedione, a supplement that contained the hard-core steroid nandrolone and which could be purchased legally in 2003. "Yes, people back then did test positive because of supplements, and occasionally it was for nandrolone, which I think (Ortiz) is alluding to, but not verbatim," Arnold told the Daily News yesterday. "If he could say it was nandrolone, I'd ..."

As Big Papi Squirms, Alex as Content as Ever

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August 9

New York Post

columnist Joel Sherman

"If you are able to take a step back, you will recognize how incredible that is. For in February, he was embarrassed by being outed as a steroid cheat. His entire legacy was in shambles, and so was his credibility. For a player who cared endlessly about his place in baseball history and how he was perceived, could there have been anything more devastating? Actually, yes. In March, Rodriguez learned he needed hip surgery. That threatened his ability to play or play well in 2009, and perhaps even jeopardized his career beyond that. So before a pitch was thrown this season, Rodriguez's body, mind, character and status were ravaged. Thus, it would have been impossible to believe that in early ..."

'Careless' David Ortiz denies steroid use

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August 9

New York Daily News

"Dressed in a dark jacket and seated to the left of MLB Players Association general counsel Michael Weiner, Red Sox slugger David Ortiz apologized to fans, his teammates and his manager Saturday for being a "distraction" after his name appeared on a 2003 list of players who tested positive for steroids. Ortiz said he has never used or bought steroids and implied that his appearance on the list may have been triggered by the use of legal supplements. The list is the subject of intense litigation between the Players Association and the government after the test results were seized by agents investigating the BALCO steroid scandal in 2004. The results have been sealed by court order as the ..."

'Freer' Alex Rodriguez feels for David Ortiz after steroid press conference

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August 9

New York Daily News

"Alex Rodriguez didn't see David Ortiz's press conference Saturday, as he chose to sleep in after delivering one of the most memorable home runs of his career to end Friday night's 15-inning marathon. But after experiencing his own press conference to address his use of performance-enhancing drugs back in February, A-Rod can relate to the feelings Ortiz encountered. "David's a good friend," Rodriguez said before Saturday's Yankee victory. "I've been there, done that and lived it. Whatever he did, I hope he feels better about it, because I certainly did once I had my press conference." While Ortiz denied ever using steroids and blamed his positive test in 2003 on over-the-counter ..."

Apologetic Ortiz Says He Didn't Use Steroids

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August 9

New York Times

"The Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz said Saturday that he had been careless about using over-the-counter supplements and vitamins that might have led to a positive doping test in 2003, but he denied ever using steroids. "I definitely was a little bit careless back in those days when I was buying supplements and vitamins over the counter," Ortiz said at a news conference at Yankee Stadium, hours before the Yankees and the Red Sox played the third game of their four-game series. Ortiz sat next to Michael Weiner, the incoming executive director of the players union, who said that the union was limited in what it could say about the 2003 test because of court-ordered restrictions. The ..."

Ortiz's Explanation Is Unlikely to Reveal Much

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August 8

New York Times

"Since it was first reported nine days ago that the Red Sox slugger David Ortiz was among the roughly 100 major league baseball players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003, he has repeatedly said he would get more information about the test result so he could provide an explanation. Before the Yankees-Red Sox game Saturday afternoon, he and Michael Weiner, the incoming head of the players union, are scheduled to hold a news conference at Yankee Stadium. But Ortiz may not be allowed to explain much. The union acknowledged in a written statement Saturday morning that, because of court-ordered restrictions, it was limited in what it could say about the 2003 test. The ..."

Ortiz Says He Was Not a Steroid User

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August 8

New York Times

"The Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz said Saturday that he had been careless about using over-the-counter supplements and vitamins that may have triggered a positive doping test in 2003, but he denied ever using steroids. "I definitely was a little bit careless back in those days when I was buying supplements and vitamins over the counter," Ortiz said at a news conference at Yankee Stadium, hours before the Yankees and the Red Sox were scheduled to play the third game of their four-game series. Ortiz sat next to Michael Weiner, the incoming head of the players union, who said that because of court-ordered restrictions the union was limited in what it could say about the 2003 test. The ..."

In response, Ortiz denies using steroids

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August 8

MLB.com

"Red Sox slugger David Ortiz said on Saturday at a Yankee Stadium news conference that he has never used or purchased steroids, but had been "careless" in his use of nutritional supplements back in 2003, when he reportedly tested positive for the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The report about Ortiz surfaced last month in a story published by The New York Times. According to lawyers who spoke to the Times, and whose names were not revealed, Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are on the list of players who tested positive -- testing that was agreed to and conducted only on the condition that the results would remain anonymous. Ortiz said he only confirmed the positive test result after contacting ..."

Ortiz: 'I never used steroids'

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August 8

Boston Globe

"David Ortiz kicked off his press conference this afternoon by stating definitively that he "never used steroids" or bought them, but acknowledged that he was "careless" when he was "buying supplements and vitamins over the counter." He said he did not know, however, if one of those vitamins or supplements -- which he said were legal -- resulted in his inclusion on a list of 104 major leaguers to have failed a 2003 survey test for performance-enhancing drugs. MLB players association incoming head Michael Weiner indicated that there would be no way for Ortiz to know anything about his test results: "David does not know anything about his test results ... there would be no way to assess if ..."

Henry: 'We want to hear the facts before we say anything'

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August 7

Boston Globe

"Red Sox owner John Henry spoke briefly with reporters this morning, saying the team is going to withhold commenting on David Ortiz's inclusion on a list of players to have tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003 until after the Sox slugger talks about it. "I'm going to let David speak first," Henry told reporters after taking part in a ReadBoston story event at Boston Common. "As soon as he speaks, then we'll have something to say." Henry was also critical of the Globe's coverage of Ortiz. "I think some of the Globe's remarks are a little, um, early," Henry said. "Let's see what David has to say.""

Ortiz can't hide from Bronx boo birds

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August 7

Boston Herald

"In 1995, as Cal Ripken Jr. was closing in on Lou Gehrig's Iron Man streak, the Baltimore Orioles shortstop was asked about tuning out all the distractions that go with pursuing a record owned by one of the greatest icons in sports history. No problem, said Ripken. Once the game starts, a three-hour window of bliss arrives. You're able to just go out and play baseball, with no distractions. If only it could be so easy for David Ortiz. For all the off-the-field angst he's dealing with in the aftermath of being named as one of the 104 ballplayers who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003, the man cannot pull a Ripken and take refuge in between the white lines. As if we ..."

Ortiz to speak publicly about allegations on Saturday

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August 7

Boston Herald

"David Ortiz and Michael Weiner, the next executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, will hold a press conference tomorrow to address the Red Sox slugger's connection with performance-enhancing drugs. Ortiz' appearance on the list of 104 players who tested positive for PEDs in 2003 was leaked to the New York Times last Thursday. Since then, Ortiz has said he does not know why his name is on the list, and he has vowed to get to the bottom of it. It remains unknown what avenue Ortiz is using in his quest, but the union is not believed to be seeking a federal court order to unseal specifics of the player's test result. The issue is a complicated one, and the presence ..."

Surrounded by Questions, Ortiz Tries to Be Big Papi

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August 7

New York Times

"After another day filled with questions about steroids, another hitless game and another numbing loss, David Ortiz admitted that he was a frustrated soul. Ortiz, the designated hitter for the Boston Red Sox, acknowledged that he has been distracted by the steroid situation that has enveloped him. When The New York Times reported last week that Ortiz was on the list of roughly 100 players who had tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003, he said he would discuss the situation as soon as he had "more answers." That is set to happen Saturday, when Ortiz and members of the players association are scheduled to hold a news conference at Yankee Stadium. "We're going to figure ..."

For Ortiz, the real test is yet to come

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August 5

Boston Globe

"And on and on it goes, the story nobody really wants to talk about and everyone wants to end. The Red Sox have just begun a pivotal stretch of games, the David Ortiz saga burdening them like a ball and chain, and everyone from Santo Domingo to St. Petersburg feels the same way. Said manager Terry Francona when asked about Ortiz, "I think we'd all like to . . .'' "Move on?'' it was asked. "Well . . . yeah,'' the skipper said prior to last night's game between the Sox and Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Wouldn't we all. Yet here we are, five days after it was reported that Ortiz was among the 104 players who tested positive for banned substances during baseball's provisional survey in ..."

David Ortiz wants test results

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August 5

Boston Herald

"In order for David Ortiz to discover the specifics of his 2003 positive performance-enhancing drug test results, some entity - either the players' union or Ortiz himself as a private citizen - will need to file a motion for a federal court to unseal the evidence. To date, the Red Sox do not know if Ortiz has requested the union to take such an action, a Red Sox spokesperson said last night. Earlier in the evening, the Red Sox said that Ortiz had requested the union to file a motion, but later the club corrected itself. The players' union is not commenting about the Ortiz case, but knowing Ortiz' desire they could, or may have already, go down that legal path on his behalf. It could take at ..."

Plausible deniability in protein shake form

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August 3

Washington Times

columnist Tom Knott

"David Ortiz must have been using a bad batch of steroids, given he is built like a truck driver instead of a Hercules. He does not have ripples in his frame. He has rolls. There is nothing sleek or chiseled about him. You think of steroid users and you think of Jose Canseco and Barry Bonds, muscular men who could elicit a cry of pain in mortals with a firm handshake. You do not think of Ortiz. You imagine his diet consists of hamburgers, hot dogs and fries, washed down with a six-pack of beer. You imagine he has mustard stains on his jersey with specks of relish. When he steps up to the all-you-can-eat buffet line, it is with three or four plates in tow and a bib the size of a potato ..."

Red Sox fans feel betrayed by Ortiz

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August 2

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"So, it was all a big lie. Baseball fans suspected it would end up like this. The New York Times reported Thursday that David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, the sluggers who led the Boston Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and 2007, are among the 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003. Major League Baseball conducted random drug testing that year to see whether the game had a steroid problem. Well, obviously, it did. As a result, mandatory testing was instituted in 2004, with players who tested positive getting penalized. Those who appeared on the 2003 list were not penalized, and the list was supposed to be kept confidential, but names on the list leak out ..."

Big Papi, big gap: Just one is stained

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August 2

San Antonio Express-News

columnist Buck Harvey

"About the time they were collecting urine from Manny and Big Papi, another went public with his fluid. This was in January of 2003. Bill Romanowski, the former NFL linebacker, has never tried to distance himself from chemicals. His teammates called him "Rx" then. So there he was a few days before the Super Bowl that year, a 36-year-old Oakland Raider who had somehow started 264 consecutive games, sitting down for a media session - with a jug of juice next to him. The label read: "CytoSport - Driven by Science, Inspired by Performance." There wasn't anything illegal about this fluid. But his attitude - and the general reaction toward him - sums up the contrasts in two sports. While baseball ..."

Papi awaiting additional word from union

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August 1

Boston Herald

"Red Sox slugger David Ortiz has contacted the players union to begin the process of discovering how he landed on the list of those who failed drug tests in 2003, but has yet to receive an answer. Speaking briefly yesterday in front of his locker, Ortiz reiterated his pledge to reveal information as he received it in the wake of revelations he tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug six years ago. "I don't have much to say about that," he said. "I just got in touch with the union today. I'm trying to find out what's going on. As soon as I find out, I'll let you guys know." The Players Association did not respond to a message seeking comment but previously has declined comment on ..."