Comments on: “David Ortiz is not a baseball player”

By: spudchukar

spudchukar — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 23:29:15 +0000

Justin Verlander sucks as a fielder.

By: aaronmoreno

aaronmoreno — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 22:34:33 +0000

I’ll ask this again: Did the Red Sox plan for what might happen in the World Series?

By: simon94022

simon94022 — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:17:25 +0000

Notably, Japan’s Pacific League introduced the DH for the same reason that the American League did. In both countries, it was a financially struggling league plagued by chronically weak attendance that needed desperately to shake things up. The American League of the early 1970s was in a very bad way, partly because so many clubs had become financially codependent on the Yankees during their long era of dominance, and they weren’t equipped for a world in which the Yankees were a mediocre team and a poor draw.

Japan’s Central League, like the National League in the US, has traditionally Been financially more secure and thus opposed the DH as a cheap gimmick.

The Central League continues to be the home of the most financially successful Japanese baseball teams. And NL teams continue on average to have stronger attendance than the AL. 8 of the lowest 10 attendance teams in MLB are American League teams, so whatever the merits of the DH, it does not appear to have solved the problem it was designed for.

By: marshmallowsnake

marshmallowsnake — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:17:08 +0000

If he meant total contract value (166.5 million), and not just this year , then yeah…there are two teams with more (Phillies – which surprised me – and Yankees). But, this year, they only total 18.8 million, and there are no teams with less then that.

By: CJ

CJ — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:32:42 +0000

rule #2:

Do. Not. Feed. The. Trolls.

By: The Baseball Idiot

The Baseball Idiot — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:25:26 +0000

What’s the AAAA? I’m only aware of the minor leagues going to AAA.

By: Kevin S.

Kevin S. — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:23:22 +0000

You might want to double-check your facts. High schools have the DH. Colleges definitely have the DH. The National League and Japan’s Central League are the only two professional baseball leagues lacking the DH.

By: Chris Fiorentino

Chris Fiorentino — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:08:18 +0000

OK, that was a good retort, although I did walk right into it. Thumbs up troll.

By: ceadderman

ceadderman — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:06:42 +0000

Oh boo hoo Francona. Cry me a river. Try Managing in a real league where Pitchers have to take their cuts like everybody else. I absolutely HATE the DH absolutely.

The AL is the ONLY league where the Pitcher doesn’t take his cuts on a regular day. The only time they hit is when they Pitch Interleague Matchups in a National League Park. In Little League? Pitchers hit. Babe Ruth? yup. High School? yeahup, there too. College? Uh huh. In the AL? Nope.

I wouldn’t say that Ortiz isn’t a Baseball Player though. It’s just what happens when you get greedy looking for Power at the same Position.

By: madhatternalice

madhatternalice — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:52:48 +0000

I don’t know. I have a hard time understanding why a DH isn’t considered a “legitimate” baseball player, because he can only hit. But a pitcher who can’t hit isn’t considered the same thing. Justin Verlander has four errors this season, with a fielding percentage of .840, but no one calls him out on that…

By: kellyb9

kellyb9 — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:39:11 +0000

He’s a baseball player like a guy going to a driving range is a golfer.

By: droogleeddie

droogleeddie — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:52:11 +0000

OK, here are my rules:

1. Chris Fiorentino can not comment.

That is all.

By: royhobbs39

royhobbs39 — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:41:11 +0000

I believe the comment was ” Many teams’ entire payroll is smaller than their combined contracts.”. Payroll versus contracts.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:34:43 +0000

Can’t be bothered to read, I see….because if you had, you would realize the reason Craig used quotes for that text. Your credibility, like the reputation of Vancouver, is up in flames.

By: marshmallowsnake

marshmallowsnake — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:33:16 +0000

Well, Ortiz is making 12.5 million…and A-Gon is at 6.3 million… So, how many teams have a payroll of under 18.8 Million that are not minor league teams? Oh, none. The lowest payroll is Kansas City at 36 million.

By: Chris Fiorentino

Chris Fiorentino — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:29:41 +0000

Comment Police Alert…next time you want to be a douchenozzle and comment on how someone comments, please leave a list of your rules and regulations regarding who can comment on what, when and where they are allowed to comment, and give a set of rules specifically to the reasoning behind why they are allowed to comment how they are.

Better yet, when you are thinking of trolling along and writing something as douchy as you just wrote, don’t.

By: droogleeddie

droogleeddie — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:19:50 +0000

“I am as sick of hearing AL managers whine about the DH as I am hearing Yankees fans whine about all their so-called injuries.”

C’mon, really… you are injecting arguments from other comment threads into your posts now? Focus on one discussion at a time…

By: aceshigh11

aceshigh11 — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:18:03 +0000

I’m sure Craig is crushed by your assessment.

I think the real joke is your lack of reading comprehension skills. Try rereading the post again, VERY SLOWLY.

By: aceshigh11

aceshigh11 — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:16:27 +0000

Ortiz COULD play first just fine.

The main issue is that the Sox’ best two hitters play the same position. One needs to sit. That’s all there is to it.

There was some talk of Gonzalez maybe playing right field and Ortiz playing first, but that was probably deemed too risky.

Saying that Francona was complaining is a stretch…he shouldn’t have used the word “fair” though…nothing is fair in life. Ever.

And more to the point: how does this Steigerwald d-bag STILL have a job after what he wrote about Stow?

By: thefalcon123

thefalcon123 — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:15:53 +0000

Ortiz is hitting .311/.391/.581. He is poor defensively, hence he’s the DH. But with that hitting line, virtually any team would put his lackluster glove at first because he’s good hitting would far outweigh his poor defense. The Red Sox don’t do it for an obvious reason…they have Adrian Gonzalez at 1st who is hitting .361/.415/.611 and plays good defensive first base (and would probably play very, very poor outfield).

To imply Ortiz wouldn’t be in baseball without the DH is to prove you’re an idiot.

By: canucks18

canucks18 — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:15:52 +0000

Calcaterra you have lost it!!! How do you take Francona’s comments and lead them to say Ortiz isn’t a baseball player? You, like your credibility after this article is a joke!

By: Jonny 5

Jonny 5 — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:13:55 +0000

If you were to cut Ortiz and make the Sox an NL team overnight, they would still have the most potent offense in the NL more than likely. Not to be mistaken with “most potentially offensive”.

By: kopy

kopy — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:13:18 +0000

Francona was saying that what isn’t fair is the long road trip, not the NL rules. He doesn’t mind sitting Ortiz for a NL series or two, it’s the 3 series in a row at Pittsburgh, Philly, and Houston that he doesn’t like because Ortiz will sit so much for so long.

By: ironhorseblues

ironhorseblues — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:11:17 +0000

I agree with your article. Having said that, could you not say poop stirring? It makes you sound like a Ned Flanders douchbag. Were all grownups here just say “shit” stirring please….

By: kopy

kopy — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:09:33 +0000

"I wish we had that three (games at home) in between," Francona said, referring to the unusual length of this NL trip. "It makes it a little bit more fair for us. I don't care about the road trip, but it would be nice to have our style where we can play our lineup. Then I wouldn't be so worried about David if that were the case." The problem for Francona is that while he wants Ortiz's bat, he cannot afford to leave Adrian Gonzalez's bat out. He won't even consider sitting Gonzalez and his .359/.410/.609 marks out of the lineup even for a day. "Don't want to do that. Gonzie right now is as good a hitter as anyone in the game and certainly productive."

By: ditto65

ditto65 — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:08:13 +0000

I would rather hear someone complain about a rained out picnic than listen to Tito complain about having to keep Ortiz on the bench.

By: holdthemayo123

holdthemayo123 — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:02:53 +0000

have any direct quotes from francona? i heard him interviewed and he wasnt complaining about it at all.. i think the writer is exaggerating.

By: diamondduq

diamondduq — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:02:24 +0000

I do have a hard time accepting someone as a legitimate baseball player when he can’t even get on the field! Think what you will about pitchers but you’ve never heard a manager say “It’s not fair I can’t pitch my best pitcher because we’re playing in an NL park and he’d have to hit and run the bases.” Put Gonzalez in the OF, he’s played there before in MLB and head to your local sporting goods store to get Ortiz a first base mitt and go to it!

By: Jonny 5

Jonny 5 — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:51:31 +0000

Awww He’s just trying to make up for writing that bad article against Stowe. How sweet of him. Gotta go, I now have to run over to the printer and get my copy of this to frame right away. I’ve been saying Ortiz isn’t a “real” baseball player for years now….

By: ss

ss — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:49:52 +0000

All cancelled picnic correspondence should be sent to the Dept. of the Interior, Craig. The best way to get in touch with them is via email – this guy’s always good about getting back to me in a timely manner: y.t.bear@nps.gov.