Big Papi's Big Press Conference

Kind of strange to hold a Press Conference on a Saturday (12:30 PM on ESPN) before a game in your biggest rivals territory isn't it? But that's exactly what David Ortiz is going to do. Ill-advised or not, Ortiz is to address the situation he said he would not run or hide from.

Ortiz (in case you don't know) will answer questions about his 2003 positive steroids test. If you ask me this is a distraction the Red Sox didn't need. In the middle of a post break swoon, the Red Sox not only find themselves playing a hot Yankee team, but find themselves 4.5 games back of a team that hadn't beaten them before Thursday. This series was such a big deal, that it drew a national debate of "what team needs this series more." Meanwhile Ortiz is drawing national attention for different reason all together. After stating that a positive test should carry a 1 year suspension (amidst the Alex Rodriguez positive test) in Spring Training, Ortiz has let a week plus go by without answering questions on his own positive test. Tomorrow's press conference is supposed to answer those questions. But why do I get the feeling Ortiz will say very little & most of the press conference will be directed by the new leader of the Players Association Michael Weiner. Oddly enough Weiner will be at the press conference, but is there really a need Union head there? Why not just answer questions like others have in a forum that you called for?

When the news came out, Manny Ramirez (who was also implicated) said, "we are like two mountains. We’re going to keep doing good no matter what . . . Only God is going to be able to move those two mountains." Actually Manny one of those mountains is in the middle of a 4-29 slump since the news came out. So obviously this is getting to Ortiz, who has prided himself as a lovable clean player throughout his Red Sox career. I'll be real interested in what Papi has to say (as will most baseball fans) tomorrow.

About a year ago some idiot RSN Inhabitant buried a David Ortiz jersey in this very stadium. If Ortiz fails to give a reasonable explanation, his career might be buried there as well.