David Ortiz doesn’t intend to make things more difficult than they need to be.
Ortiz is hitting .219 with six homers and a .673 OPS in 51 games for the inconsistent Boston Red Sox. He’s also 39 years old and in the midst of his 19th major league season. Now isn’t the time for Big Papi to radically alter his offensive approach, especially given how successful he’s been as recently as 2014.
“Man, let me tell you, I’m just going to keep swinging,” Ortiz said after Sunday’s comeback win over the Oakland Athletics at Fenway Park, according to WEEI.com. “I don’t care. Good swing. Bad swing. I’m having the same result pretty much. What can I do? Just keep on swinging.”
Ortiz initially showed signs of improvement after a two-day break during the Red Sox’s recent series in Texas. The slugger stalled a bit last week during Boston’s seven-game homestand, though. He went 4-for-22 with no home runs and only one walk.
The Red Sox were fortunate enough to win five of seven games during the homestand, including Sunday’s series finale, in which Boston scored seven runs in the eighth inning to overcome a four-run deficit. Perhaps it was a sign of things to come. After all, the American League East has been messy.
“The reality is we have a good ballclub. We just have to be patient,” Ortiz told WEEI.com. “If you look at this division, everybody is playing the same way. Everybody is having some ups and downs. You don’t see this team in this division sweeping series or getting far ahead from everyone. Everyone is having those bumps in the road, ups and downs.”
Ortiz has hit plenty of bumps in 2015. The downs have outweighed the ups. But the nine-time All-Star has been written off before, only to ride a simplistic offensive approach back to the top of the mountain.
Why should this time be any different?
Thumbnail photo via Gregory Fisher/USA TODAY Sports Images
