ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Boston Red Sox slugger -- and newly-crowned Home Run Derby champion David Ortiz held court shortly after taking batting practice today, and had some interesting things to say, including a grand proclamation for tonight’s All-Star game: yet more dominance for the American League.
“Oh definitely (the AL will win),” he said. “No question. It’s on, baby. We’ve got some guys going crazy in the clubhouse, can’t wait to kick some you-know-what.”
Ortiz didn’t seem too scared of NL starter Ubaldo Jimenez, either, but not just because the Red Sox roughed up Jimenez this season.
“Well let me tell you, he’s only going to go two innings right?” he said. “Not too much to worry about. Jimenez, he’s got to be one of the best pitchers in the game, no question. But he’ll pitch his two innings and pack it. Take it to the house.”
I assume, Papi knows that the NL bullpen has some decent pitchers, but we’ll give him a pass simply for sheer entertainment value.
Ortiz also talked about the passing of George Steinbrenner, which has obviously dominated talk here. His own team will hold a moment of silence on Thursday in honor of The Boss, and Ortiz made it clear that Steinbrenner’s impact overshadows any kind of Yankees-Red Sox hatred.
“I have a lot of respect for Mr. Steinbrenner. This is a time where you don’t even worry about the rivalry or who you play for,” he said. “This is a guy who has done a lot for baseball, has done a lot of good things for a lot of people in general. In a situation like this, we need to give a lot of respect to him and his family, and let his family know that we are all thinking about him.”
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