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Bench Warmer
David Ortiz, who's been battling a season-long slump of epic proportions for a slugger of his stature, says no one should be writing him off.
Still, as "Big Papi" prepares to be checked Monday for dry eyes, he acknowledged in an interview with USA Today that his struggles are literally keeping him up at night.
"My body is resting every night," Ortiz said this weekend, "but my mind is spinning with all of this [stuff]. It's hard to sleep. This is hard. I've never been through something like this. But when you get older, and have a bad year, you never know what can happen. A lot of times, they don't let you come back."
The 33-year-old Ortiz said recently that he doesn't believe his slump has anything to do with his eyes, and Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona said recently that the team just wants to put the issue "to bed."
What Ortiz can't seem to overcome two-plus months into the season is poor performance -- a .197 batting average, only two home runs in 198 at-bats, a .308 slugging percentage and .288 on-base percentage.
"People keep writing and saying all this [stuff]," he told USA Today. "They say I can't hit no more. That I'm done. What, I have one arm now? I'm not 45. I never struggled like this, but I'll be back. Then what are they going to say?"
Two weeks ago, Boston's long-touted DH and No. 3 hitter was recently dropped to sixth in the batting order, and the placement has done little to massage his numbers. He's had only two multihit games in his last 25 games.
Despite his struggles, the Red Sox are nine games above .500 and sit only a half-game behind the New York Yankees in the AL East through Sunday's games (Boston hosts New York for a three-game series beginning Tuesday). Ortiz said it's a credit partly to the man who hits in front of him, left fielder Jason Bay, who leads the team in home runs (16) and RBIs (55).
"If he's not doing what he's doing right now, we'd be losing more games," Ortiz told USA Today. "And when we lose, you know where the blame goes. It goes on me. But this guy [Bay], he's got no fear. He might be the biggest reason I haven't fallen apart."
Still, as "Big Papi" prepares to be checked Monday for dry eyes, he acknowledged in an interview with USA Today that his struggles are literally keeping him up at night.
"My body is resting every night," Ortiz said this weekend, "but my mind is spinning with all of this [stuff]. It's hard to sleep. This is hard. I've never been through something like this. But when you get older, and have a bad year, you never know what can happen. A lot of times, they don't let you come back."
The 33-year-old Ortiz said recently that he doesn't believe his slump has anything to do with his eyes, and Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona said recently that the team just wants to put the issue "to bed."
What Ortiz can't seem to overcome two-plus months into the season is poor performance -- a .197 batting average, only two home runs in 198 at-bats, a .308 slugging percentage and .288 on-base percentage.
"People keep writing and saying all this [stuff]," he told USA Today. "They say I can't hit no more. That I'm done. What, I have one arm now? I'm not 45. I never struggled like this, but I'll be back. Then what are they going to say?"
Two weeks ago, Boston's long-touted DH and No. 3 hitter was recently dropped to sixth in the batting order, and the placement has done little to massage his numbers. He's had only two multihit games in his last 25 games.
Despite his struggles, the Red Sox are nine games above .500 and sit only a half-game behind the New York Yankees in the AL East through Sunday's games (Boston hosts New York for a three-game series beginning Tuesday). Ortiz said it's a credit partly to the man who hits in front of him, left fielder Jason Bay, who leads the team in home runs (16) and RBIs (55).
"If he's not doing what he's doing right now, we'd be losing more games," Ortiz told USA Today. "And when we lose, you know where the blame goes. It goes on me. But this guy [Bay], he's got no fear. He might be the biggest reason I haven't fallen apart."
