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".

Playing God: On the Diamond

It's every baseball fan's biggest dream, their biggest nightmare,
their chance to be a baseball God.

Recently the Staff here at 108 Red Stitches was given the opportunity to draft a unique ball-club. Wii were told wii had a modest budget, and would be drafting for the expansion franchise, the Scranton Balls.

Wii were told, until our home field was finished for construction, that wii'd be playing in Yankee Stadium, and would be slotted in the American League West.

Yes we know, that's why we picked Expedia.com as our left handed reliever.
We had the first pick in the draft, and every major league team had to dump all of its players into the pool.
Here goes nothing:

With the First Pick of the Draft, the Scranton Balls Select:

*Ryan Howard*

What? Well, he was cheap, and after all we're playing in Yankee Stadium. That short porch in right is mighty tempting. He's young (technically), and his name hasn't even been mentioned in the same sentence as steroids (until now).

Rounding out the Infield:
Wii nabbed Chase Utley for second, Stephen Drew for short, picked up Hank Blalock late in the draft, Russell Martin and Chris Iannetta split time behind the plate, and David Ortiz bats fifth, as a DH.

So far so good. Now to the outfield.

Chris Duncan, Josh Hamilton, Jason Repko, and Alex Gordon (not an outfielder, but since wii're paying him, he plays where we put his ass).
It's not exactly the fasted outfield in the world, outside of Repko, which is potentially hazardous since we play in caverns for ballparks (AL West- Oakland, Anahiem, Seattle, and 81 games in Yankee Stadium).

That gapper looks a whole lot farther when you got rocks in your shoes.

Overall, its a very exciting lineup to trot out, a little heavy on the left hand hitters, but lucky for us, guys like Zito, Lilly, Pettite, and Willis all land up in the National League.

Pitching Staff:

Justin Verlander is our first pitcher chosen, followed quickly by Josh Beckett (everyone I'm drafting against has a drool cup nearby) and Cole Hamels. The rotation bottoms out with Jered Weaver and Tom Gorzelanny.
Outside of Hideki Okajima, our bullpen looks like a witness protection program.

To say wii're glad we drafted all those hitters is a gross understatement.

If you haven't figured out by now, wii were given the oppourtunity to play Baseball God
by the good folks over at Nintendo Wii, via MLB Power Pros.
Currently our team is winning the West; its a few games past the all star break and we're nine games up on the Mariners.

Ryan Howard has 84 dingers and David Ortiz has 87.

Wii're excited about the future of our franchise.