What's Eating David Ortiz?

Its almost the end of April, and "Big Papi" is beginning to look more like "Big Poopie". Fantasy players around the country are struggling to decide whether to keep many in the lineup, or replace him with a more productive option, Miguel Cairo.

Before "breaking out" against the Rangers the other day (Ortiz had a 2 hit game, including a grand slam) Ortiz had only one home run and four runs batted in. Not much production out of the four hole there.

To put Papi's numbers in perspective, guys like Mark DeRosa, Emil Brown, and Angel Pagan had (up until Papi's outburst) more than doubled Ortiz's rbi production.

Ask yourself this, do you walk DeRosa to pitch to Papi?

We began to wonder; "What is the source of Papi's troubles?" His swing looks the same as before, and it's not like he's facing anyone new so far this season (Sox have played Yankees, Cleveland, Detroit, and Toronto, teams they finished up against at the end of last season).

The answer came to us last night, while watching television. Papi has a new baseball cleat that he's advertising.

Its got to be the shoes!

Everyone talks about not messing with a guys hands (while he's at the plate) or checking his eyes to see if he's not seeing the ball. No one ever talks about the importance of comfortable shoes while trying to hit a 95 mph fastball.

What you put on your feet will determine the comfort level for the rest of your body. Your feet are the foundation for everything you do in life; walk, stand, sit, swing a bat, etc. If you're not comfortable at the base, everything else is out of whack.

Some one needs to get to Ortiz, and tell him its time to stop shilling a pair of s#*t cleats and get back to his comfort zone. No product endorsement is worth shaving off two hundred points off your batting average.

Until his feet come to his senses, Papi will continue to be "Poopie".