11/21/24
July 15, 2010
Down the Memory Hole: "Congratulations on topping the Home Run Derby Mr. Ortiz. Say, weren't you tops on some other list last year? What was it again?" Eric Wilbur asks why Big Papi gets a pass on PEDs and suggests that Red Sox ownership is actively trying to re-write history. You can guess at the fan reaction.
I'm glad fans are ignoring the leaked names. It is completely bogus that anonymous sources can claim he is one the list, and he should have that held against him for his entire career. He can't defend himself against the charge. He doesn't even know what he is accused of having taken.
posted by bperk at 09:32 AM on July 15, 2010
He doesn't even know what he is accused of having taken.
I'm pretty sure he is.
posted by mjkredliner at 09:58 AM on July 15, 2010
It is completely bogus that anonymous sources can claim he is one the list, and he should have that held against him for his entire career.
Normally I'd agree with you, but if the only option is to be an anonymous source (because using your own name would win you a libel suit you couldn't defend since the MLB has no incentive to be honest), what's the other option? Bury our heads in the sand and pretend all the virtues we think athletes stand for are still true?
posted by yerfatma at 10:25 AM on July 15, 2010
No, the option is you have testing, and punish those who test positive. It certainly shouldn't be an option to punish an athlete for an anonymous test, whose seizure was ruled illegal, and doesn't include enough information to know what substance he allegedly tested positive for. It's just unfair.
posted by bperk at 10:54 AM on July 15, 2010
It certainly shouldn't be an option to punish an athlete for an anonymous test, whose seizure was ruled illegal, and doesn't include enough information to know what substance he allegedly tested positive for.
I'm missing something. Was he or was he not punished for testing positive? I'm not talking about media "punishment", let's reserve that word for the punishment that the offense is supposed to merit. Was he or was he not punished for testing positive?
posted by lil_brown_bat at 12:16 PM on July 15, 2010
I'm glad fans are ignoring the leaked names.
Like when A-Rod's name was leaked?
By the way, I wasn't even aware that Big Papi was on the PED list a year ago. Why wasn't there much publicity concerning this as when Manny Ramirez tested positive?
posted by BornIcon at 01:10 PM on July 15, 2010
Because of the Boston Media Morality Policy. David Ortiz is a "hard worker", Manny Ramirez is not. Which basically means one talks to the media and the other doesn't. As such, the stories were treated very differently. In addition, I think even the most jaded of New England sports media types knew they'd be taking their life in their hands if they eviscerated the cute and cuddly Big Papi. And maybe a few of them still had enough love for sport they didn't want to believe it.
posted by yerfatma at 01:23 PM on July 15, 2010
By the way, I wasn't even aware that Big Papi was on the PED list a year ago. Why wasn't there much publicity concerning this as when Manny Ramirez tested positive?
Manny actually tested positive later and was suspended for 50 games of the season (I don't recall whether he was on the "steroids list" as well) once the testing had consequences, whereas Ortiz was just on the list that was leaked.
posted by holden at 01:35 PM on July 15, 2010
This just goes to show you that if you're a baseball player and considered 'media-friendly', you can get away with allegedly taking PED's.
Anyone else remember watching the Homerun derby and Joe Buck saying on more than one occasion how Big Papi should be considered the 'face of baseball' simply because he smiles a lot?
Good grief.
posted by BornIcon at 01:51 PM on July 15, 2010
You know, there's something to be said about being a generally pretty nice guy. While its absolutely true that we should hold all athletes in a particular sport to the same standards when it comes to PEDs, a positive reputation can go a long way towards people giving you breaks that they don't give people with poor reputations.
If Papi is guilty, he should receive the same punishment as anyone else in terms of who MLB chooses to punish him, but that doesn't necessarily mean that people will hold it against him the way they hold it against somebody who has already made themselves look bad.
posted by Joey Michaels at 07:23 PM on July 15, 2010
I just think that the general public was/is tired of being outraged by the seventeenth guy to be named on a positive test list. I mean, A-Rod had already been outed, and that story was a bombardment. It was hard to muster up any more emotion. Unless you were a Sox fan, I guess.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:26 PM on July 15, 2010
The Boston front office taking names and holding grudges is ridiculous, yes. Beyond that I guess I don't see the how the team and the fans have handled the situation differently than any organization would.
Ortiz is very important to Red Sox history; to finally winning the WS, and he's normally open and friendly to the media. So he gets handled with kid gloves. This doesn't all happen in a vacuum. If Bonds had delivered a WS championship to the giants and been a friendly outgoing guy I'm guessing they wouldn't have stripped their ballpark with any remaining reminders of the guy.
As far as re-writing history, let's take a look at the Yankees:
Roger Clemens: there's no absolute proof that he used steroids. He's had two stints with the Yankees, including a couple of WS championships. The second time he signed with the Yankees he was treated like a returning conquering hero. But he looked awful in front of the congressional hearing and threw his wife under the bus.
Clemens wasn't even invited to the opening of the new stadium.
We know for a fact Andy Pettitte used steroids, and he threw his father under the bus. He only admitted steroid use when facing perjury. And we automatically believe him when he says it was only those times and only to return from injury.
Pettitte is considered a true Yankee. He'll probably be in the hall of fame.
Why? Pettitte is much more important to Yankee history than Clemens. The idea that Pettitte used steroids during the 90s Yankee dynasty is too much to take.
Pettitte is their Ortiz, Clemens their Manny.
David Ortiz is a "hard worker", Manny Ramirez is not.
You're in the middle of Boston media much more than I am, but I haven't seen that. It's almost a cliche that when anyone talks badly about Manny they must first discuss what a hard worker he is and how he's the first at the ballpark every single game.
This just goes to show you that if you're a baseball player and considered 'media-friendly', you can get away with allegedly taking PED's.
What does 'get away' mean? Is A-Rod still hitting home runs? Is Pettitte not still pitching? Weren't both on the all-star team this year?
And Manny was greeted with open arms when he returned from his steroid suspension, and that was from a recent test, not secret tests from years ago (something already pointed out to you that you ignored).
And the Ortiz situation did receive a lot of publicity. In fact, if you are just now hearing about it, perhaps you're far too casual a fan to know exactly who should be the 'face of baseball'.
posted by justgary at 03:17 PM on July 19, 2010
It's almost a cliche that when anyone talks badly about Manny they must first discuss what a hard worker he is
It was. That went away in the last few years of his stay. Basically, the comparison of how Manny was treated v. how Ortiz is revered in the Boston media reminds me uncomfortably of the discussion of Magic Johnson in Do the Right Thing.
posted by yerfatma at 09:00 AM on July 20, 2010
Apologies for a (sort of) self-link, but there's not a month that goes by without me thinking of how easy it's becoming to rewrite history. Let a thousand blogs and Twitter accounts bloom.