FORT MYERS, Fla. — When David Ortiz arrives for spring training, it practically registers seismically. Such was the case Thursday morning when Big Papi strolled into the Red Sox player development complex and began a procession of hugs and high-fives fit for a conquering king.
Hours later, his first hacks in the cage complete, he could begin to reflect on all those people whose backs he slapped.
"I think this offense can do some damage," Ortiz told reporters. "You went and got two hitters that are troublemakers. They give a lot of headaches for pitchers."
Those two troublemakers, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, wasted almost no time trying to glean some degree of knowledge from the Red Sox veteran. Ortiz did the same back to them. Essentially, it was brain-picking season in Fort Myers.
"We're in the outfield talking," Ortiz said. "C.C. came out and said he had a whole bunch of questions to ask …The communication between teammates, that's pretty much the number one key for the team to be successful."
Some of the talk between Ortiz and the newcomers could help in erasing one of the designated hitter's recent issues, his struggles against left-handers. Gonzalez has had some pretty good success vs. southpaws in his career, while Crawford is as familiar as Ortiz would be with the many big-time left-handers in the American League East.
Big Papi hopes their influences rub off and allow him to erase a disturbing trend. His OPS against lefties has fallen from .988 in 2006 to .599 last season. That, and the fact that his Aprils have been so horrific, gives Ortiz two definitive targets in having a more complete season. To the 35-year-old slugger, it's all in his hands.
"I'm not planning on going through that again," he said of the early-season slumps, before turning his attention to left-handers. "I have to prove that to myself, and everyone. I've hit lefties before. I know that I can hit lefties but I have to have better numbers."
One issue in the decline in production, Ortiz said, may have something to do with the sheer number of standout left-handers in the game today. David Price, CC Sabathia, Ricky Romero and Brian Matusz — all lefties — are the aces or aces-in-waiting for the four other AL East teams.
Of course, swapping ideas with his new mates can only help.
The idea sharing is a natural occurrence for Ortiz, who remembers when he was in the same shoes as Gonzalez and Crawford, in a way.
"When I first got here in Boston, my game got better because I was watching hitters like Manny [Ramirez], Nomar [Garciaparra], those guys, great hitters," Ortiz said. "The best in the game at the time. I only had questions to ask."
Gonzalez is in somewhat of a holding pattern until he is cleared to start swinging a bat, likely in a week or so. That makes his inquiries with Ortiz and others a great way to fill the void.
The new Red Sox first baseman said he sees some similarities in hitting mechanics between him and Ortiz, although Gonzalez likes to go the other way a bit more.
"It was great. It was a good time," Gonzalez said of his first talk on the field with Ortiz. "We were just talking philosophies. We were talking Manny a lot. If you break it down he's probably got one of the best mechanics in the game. And just talking about his differences verses my differences and how we approach hitting differently."
Those brainstorming sessions with Gonzalez and Crawford, a pair of troublemakers, could help Ortiz hit the ground running in April.
