The overwhelming slump that David Ortiz found himself in during the first two months of the season finally seems to have abated, as the month of June saw him once again launching homeruns and knocking in runs in a more Papi-like fashion. Some believe the hours spent watching
video helped him out, while others credit batting coach Dave Magadan with Papi's recent success. But Call of the Green Monster has learned that neither of these theories is accurate.
"I'll tell ya, when I heard some of the ingenious advice callers were giving on WEEI, I told Papi to turn his radio on and kind of keep it on." Terry Francona explained to COTGM. "I mean these callers are just true students of the game. For instance, someone called in and said, 'I think he's swinging too late.' I nearly fell outta my chair. I mean Millsy and me hadn't thought of that. So right away, I'm on the phone to Papi telling him to swing earlier."
There was also some helpful advice that was not related to Papi's swing. "One day I'm listening and this guy calls and says, 'I think Papi's too heavy.' Hadn't thought of that either. So I'm kind of all over that advice, and we got him on a diet the next day. The eyes drops? More advice from WEEI. I'd also like to thank Fred Smerlas, Steve DeOssie, and Cedric Maxwell for their insights into the problem. Those guys know their stuff when it comes to baseball."
Francona was finally asked about the speculation that Ortiz may have used performance-enhancing drugs in the past, and with increased testing is now off them. "Don't be silly," the skipper said with a good-natured laugh. "No one on the Red Sox ever used PEDs!"
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