David Ortiz isn’t walking through that door anytime soon. In fact, he hasn’t walked through the door of the Red Sox clubhouse yet. He has consciously stayed away, allowing the 2017 players to create their own identity.
By and large, the Sox have done that. While the team hasn’t hit for power – the Sox have hit the fewest home runs in baseball – they have already won six games when tied or trailing after six innings. They are a team that can get on base and grind out at-bats, a team with the highest on-base percentage from the seventh inning on.
That said, a couple of Big Papi homers would’ve helped this season get off to an even better start. It’s clear there is no substitute to make up for the lack of Ortiz in the middle of the lineup.
Ortiz was back in town this weekend, being honored by The Charmed Foundation, which was created to help advance the use of regenerative medicine in the recovery of children and athletes. He was honored along with Maverick Schutte, the 7-year old who captured Big Papi’s heart – and ours – when he visited Fenway Park last summer.
Schutte has had more than 30 surgeries already, and lights up any room he enters.
Schutte’s eyes lit up when Ortiz entered the room Saturday.
“I saw David and I went to 100 percent,” said Schutte.
Ortiz is 100 percent sure the Red Sox will get their offense on track. He doesn’t think his absence is a problem, and that there is enough leadership to take this team into the future.
“(We’ve) got a good ball club,” said Ortiz. “I think everybody’s going to be fine. (I) can see good chemistry going on in the clubhouse.”
The Red Sox finally showed some power Sunday, hitting three home runs in a 6-2 win at Camden Yards, avoiding a sweep by the Orioles. Mookie Betts, Hanley Ramirez and Mitch Moreland all went deep. It was the first three-homer game by the Sox this season.
They’ll need more games like that in the coming days, with the Yankees, Cubs and Orioles coming to town for a 10-game homestand. On Wednesday Chris Sale is scheduled to make his first start in a Sox/Yankees game. He is averaging more than 10 strikeouts per game in a Red Sox uniform.
This comes as no surprise to Ortiz.
“I knew it was coming,” said Ortiz. “That’s why I got so excited when we got him. He’s an unbelievable pitcher. He’s going to help us out a lot.”
A big night for Sale would help breathe some life into a rivalry that has cooled over the years. The rivalry could use Ortiz, but Papi made it clear that he is not coming out of retirement. He seems completely at peace with his legacy on the field, and in Boston.
Tom Caron is a studio host for the Red Sox broadcast on NESN. His column appears in the Portland Press Herald on Tuesdays.
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