By now, everyone has heard that David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez tested positive for steroids in 2003. It’s hard to describe the level of disappointment from a Red Sox’s perspective. Ortiz wasn’t just a superstar player. He was Big Papi. He was a legend. It’s not that the news is altogether shocking since his numbers were clearly abnormal, but there was always that hope that the huge smile and amazing personality meant that Ortiz’s surge was a result of a change of scenery and not steroids.
Is there a smile more famous than Big Papi’s? Is there a baseball player that is more lovable and more famous? Ortiz was the face of the Red Sox and Red Sox Nation. No matter what you thought of the team, every fan loved Ortiz. Every Yankee fan hated Ortiz. But besides the Yankees’ fans, most opposing fans actually liked Big Papi, because he was just so lovable. And now to see all that fall apart is heartbreaking and gut wrenching. Even if it was true, I never wanted to know about it; never wanted to face the day when I’d read that Papi tested positive. He’s superman. He’s invincible. How can Big Papi have used steroids? How can he have cheated? Continue reading “Big Papi is now a Big Fraud”
There is nothing more damaging for Major League Baseball, its players, and fans than The List. The List contains the names of the 104 players who tested positive for steroids in the 2003 season when anonymous testing was done by MLB officials to see if the sport needed real testing. Of course, everyone who hasn’t been living under a rock knows how the samples were supposed to be destroyed, but weren’t and then were seized by the federal government and now the names on that list are slowly trickling out.
The Boston Red Sox may be tied for first in the American League East (for now. In ten minutes, they won’t be). They may have scored the fifth most runs in baseball. They may have the best bullpen in baseball. But the Boston Red Sox have a lot of problems.
Danny Vinik 