ESPN Radio host Colin Cowherd spoke his mind and boldly offered his explanation as to why he believes David Ortiz is having such a monstrous post season.
To backtrack slightly, let’s review just how amazing a post season Ortiz is having at the ripe old age of 37. ‘Big Papi’ is living up to his name in every way, as he entered game 6 going 11-for-15 from the plate, with a .733 average with 2 homers and 6 RBI’s.
In the opening segment for Cowherd’s radio show The Herd Colin proclaimed the following:
“David Ortiz, who was shot two years ago, is now Babe Ruth,…That’s a great story. And I don’t want to get in the way of that great story because it will make people really, really mad. … Last time I saw a guy like this it was Barry Bonds. But sports is about storytelling and hero worship and cool nicknames and fanaticism. Fans get mad when you derail that…
“…When it’s too good to be true, it is,” Cowherd continued. “Here was a guy in May of 2009, batting .222 with a slugging percentage of .300, no injuries, couldn’t hit. The Red Sox as a team are hitting about .190 (in the World Series). He’s hitting .800 against pitchers he didn’t face all year. … Significantly better today than several years ago. Interesting story. The story of David Ortiz hitting .733 — about as believable as Big Foot.”
Folks may get mad at Cowherd for opening up the constant headache that is the steroids issue in baseball, but I think where there’s smoke there’s fire and someone should say something.
Flat out making claims that Ortiz is juicing would be wrong, but when you have a solid case–like his stratospheric numbers, combined with his age and the fact his name was mentioned on that infamous list of baseball players who haVE used PED’s (and his weak sauce excuse) then Colin is fully within his right to start the discussion.
Today as we’re waist deep in the A-Rod situation and a heap of other suspensions for well known players, should any player be above steroid accusations?
H/T: LBS