To me there is no debate. The Yankees made a mistake by deciding to
“honor” David Ortiz. I guess you could say they are taking the high road
and in my opinion it’s not a huge deal either way, but again I think
it is a mistake.
Keeping it really simple … David Ortiz does not deserve the same
level of respect given to Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.
Derek & Mo were clean and beyond reproach, while Ortiz
was a PED cheat ( let’s just say papi got sloppi ).
Jeter & Mo also played the game a different way.
They showed the utmost respect for their opponents,
umpires, etc. There were no bat flips, slow home run trots, or
stare downs. They GOT respect from the entire league because
they GAVE respect to the entire league. None of this can be said
for David Ortiz.
Ortiz should be put in the same category as A-Rod, not two
future Hall of Famers who will be not only be guaranteed 1st ballot,
but will come close to unanimous voting approval.
The Red Sox did not honor A-Rod when he played his final
road game in Boston in August, so why should the Yankees
do so for Ortiz ?
Add to that, when the Red Sox “honored” Mariano, they actually
mocked him by giving him a painting of him blowing a save in
the 2004 ALCS.
If I were going to the game tonight, I would simply show up late.
An empty stadium is what Ortiz deserves.
It’s not about the fact that he plays for the Red Sox,
or even that he had ridiculous success vs. the Yankees
If Dustin Pedroia finishes his career with 3,000 + hits etc. and the
Yankees wanted to honor him, I would have no problem with that.
He plays the game hard and the right way !
Like I said .. the Yankees made a mistake when they decided
to “honor” David Ortiz.
