Muscle Sport Magazine

David Ortiz Hears Steroid-Related Boos at Yankee Stadium

Greeted by a rousing chorus of boos in the first inning at Yankee Stadium, David Oritz calmly strolled to the plate and took his turn at bat. Although it ended in a deep foul out to right field, the extra dose of Bronx Cheer did not seem to affect the designated hitter.

What almost seemed like a case of ‘turnabout is fair play,’ the chants of “you took steroids” that Jason Giambi and, more recently, Alex Rodriguez heard at Fenway Park were thrown back into the Red Sox’s faces. With the news of Manny Ramirez (the current Dodger and long time Red Sox outfielder) being suspended for a banned substance and now Ortiz being named as one of the 104 players who tested positive back in 2003, it has taken some of the sting away from the Yankees’ reputation of the team most likely to test positive.

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When asked during the pre-game press conference if he anticipated a rough reception for Ortiz from the Yankee faithful, Boston manager Terry Francona said, “That won’t make or break my night how the fans are going to treat one of our players.”

Already having a sub-par season, Ortiz has slumped of late, especially after the word leaked out that he was another on the so-called ‘anonymous’ list. “I haven’t noticed him being any different thatn he has in the past,” Francona said, also noting that Ortiz hit a home run in the first game after the news broke but then went on a 1-for-14 slide. “I see him handling things very well, but I can’t see inside him.”

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In the Yankees’ 13-6 win in the opener of a four-game set in the Bronx, Ortiz had a rough night, going 0-for-5. The fans made sure to get their voices up for him as he made his way to the batter’s box and even more so as the public address announcer called his name. The chant of ‘steroids’ could be clearly heard from the press box, especially coming down from the upper deck.

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Ortiz would not exactly have been getting any sort of cheer from this crowd, but the venom that spewed from the charged-up Yankee fans – who finally could enjoy a win over Boston after eight consecutive losses to their nemesis to start the season – was especially harsh on this night.

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DAVID ORTIZ – 2009 STATS (not including 8/6/09)

Games – 89; At-Bats – 356; Runs – 42; Hits – 80; Doubles – 23; Triples – 1; Home Runs – 15; RBI – 61; Total Bases – 150; Walks – 44; Strike Outs – 89; Stolen Bases – 0; Caught Stealing – 2; On Base Pct. – .312; Slugging Pct. – .412, Batting Averge – .225

Photo by Bill Menzel

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