Now, if he can just get his 2011 season off to a similar start.
Ortiz vowed to hit the ground running in April, telling us all that he wouldn't spend much time thinking about a slow start. He talked about the pressures of a bad April, how fans expect him to produce for a full six months.
But, until he does, fans will have questions. And, as Ortiz was reminded Thursday, he'll be asked those questions repeatedly.
The questions are warranted. Last season, Ortiz hit .143 (.524 OPS) in April, hitting one home run and driving in four runs. He recovered nicely after that, hitting 33 homers and driving in 98 RBIs from May 1 on.
It was almost identical to his slow start from 2009. Papi went .230 (.623 OPS) in April that year, driving in just 12 runs without hitting one out of the park. His 28 homers and 87 RBIs after that month allowed Ortiz, and his fans, to breathe a sigh of relief.
Last year, there was plenty of debate about the future of Ortiz with the Sox in the first four weeks of the season. Mike Lowell was sitting on the bench, and plenty of fans thought it was time for the Sox to move on.
The team didn't, and the DH rewarded them with that strong finish. This offseason, the team picked up his one-year option and then added more left-handed bats to the lineup with the signing of Carl Crawford and the acquisition of Adrian Gonzalez.
Which brings us to the other question Ortiz will be answering this season: Should he stay in the lineups against lefties?
Over the past three seasons, Ortiz has hit .218 (.674 OPS) with 13 homers and 72 RBIs against left-handed pitching. He's .274 (.932) with 70 homers and 218 RBIs vs. righties.
With Crawford, Gonzalez, Jacoby Ellsbury and J.D. Drew in the lineup, there is a lack of right-handed bats. There are plenty of tough lefties in the AL East, so someone will be the odd man out in some of those games. Ortiz could be that man.
How will he handle sitting out? That's another question for the coming season. And another answer we won't have until the season begins.
Ortiz says he knows what to do to answer these questions. He needs to hit early in the season, and hit well against lefties. If he does that, there's no question he'll once again be one of the most popular players on the team.
