Photo: www.yahoo.com
When I looked up the word asinine in the dictionary, this is what I found – foolish, unintelligent, or silly; stupid, of or like an ass.
Well, the word is quite appropriate for those advocating for a “special” type of tribute/salute for Boston Red Sox slugger, David Ortiz, as he plays his final series against the Yankees in the Bronx. Let’s just say that the folks “behind” moonpapi.com, are urging Yankees fans to, turn the other cheek (or I guess it would be cheeks), towards Big Papi as a sign of good riddance. Here is their quote: “If ten people Moon Big Papi, they’ll be arrested. If ten thousand people Moon Big Papi, they’ll tell their grandchildren they were there.”
The site is actually quite funny. The whole idea supposedly came about because the founder was really ticked off by Ortiz’s pre-season wish that he: “hopes Yankees fans will give him a standing ovation in his final NY AB”. While that might be true, I think there’s a little more to the story than the mooners are letting on. Counting Tuesday night, Big Papi has played in 118 games as a member of the Boston Red Sox, against the New York Yankees in the Bronx (both Yankee Stadiums combined), and here is a breakdown of the damage he’s inflicted on Bombers pitching staffs and their fans, from 2003 until the present:
In the old Yankee Stadium, Ortiz played in 49 games as a Red Sox (9 as a Twin), and hit .323 with 15 HR’s and 33 RBI’s. When the Yanks were building their new stadium, who can forget construction worker, Gino Castignoli (everyone, that’s who), the Bronx Boston fan, who dropped a #34 Ortiz jersey into a concrete pour, to put a “Curse of Big Papi” on the Pinstripers new digs. Wow, that was crazy!
Photo: nypost.com
Good thing the jersey was found and jack-hammered out, because over the 59 games he has played in the new Yankee Stadium (2009 – present), Papi has hit a paltry, .229. He has however launched 15 more home runs and knocked in an additional 32 runs.
In 8 postseason games played at Yankee Stadium (2003 and 2004), Ortiz hit .290 with 3 round trippers and 10 ribbies. How many big, clutch hits did he have in those two classic American League Championship Series (walk-offs at Fenway notwithstanding)?
Just imagine if David were a Yankee for his entire career and got to aim for that short porch (joke) in right field 81 games a season? Well, he has two more shots to wreak more havoc, following Tuesday night’s 0-5 effort. And while I am sure the Yankees franchise will give him a sincere tribute prior to Thursday’s game (much like the Red Sox did for Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter), there is a group out there that subscribes to the old adage: if you can’t beat em, moon em!
And that is My 2 Sense for this week.
