David Ortiz may have staged impromptu home run derbies many times this season, but that doesn’t mean he’s interested in the official contest during All-Star Weekend.
The Red Sox slugger, who was undecided on the matter before, has said officially that he will not participate if he’s asked to be a part of this summer’s Home Run Derby.
“I wouldn’t do it. I’m done with that,” Ortiz said, according to WEEI.com. “I can’t do it no more. I can’t even do it in batting practice. Watch me in batting practice — I might lose a couple of balls, but that’s it. I can’t do it.
“It wears me out. Wears me out. And you know the Home Run Derby [can’t] be taken lightly. You have to be young with a lot of energy.”
Ortiz has said before that he has participated in such contests, but they caused trouble for his swing, a frequent problem for major league Home Run Derby winners. With 13 home runs in the bank already this year, Ortiz is playing it safe and planning to keep his long balls aimed toward Red Sox wins.
