David Ortiz

It's a sight that is tough to swallow by Boston Red Sox fans.

For years, David Ortiz has been a symbol of power, a symbol that struck fear into opposing pitchers hearts. Fenway Park would erupt every time he stepped to the plate, and Ortiz would gladly give us a chance to cheer delivering clutch hit after clutch hit.

As the ball sailed off David Ortiz's bat into one of the deepest parts of Fenway Park Wednesday night, it marked the end of a very emotional journey: for Ortiz, for the fans, and for the media who had made hitting that first home run such an important achievement.

If you are reading this blog, you undoubtedly are familiar with the nonstop coverage that has followed Ortiz's lackluster offense this season. Everyone has an opinion about what is "wrong" with Big Papi, and the story of the first home run took on a life of its own.

ESPN's Buster Olney has reported that there have been preliminary trade talks between the Boston Red Sox and the Celevaland Indians. The trade would help both teams as their needs will be partially fulfilled.

The trade has shape up so the Indians would trade their top prospect in Matt LaPorta in exchange for one of Boston's young arms being either Michael Bowden, Clay Bucholtz, or Daniel Bard. This would mean that LaPorta would be traded for the second time in two years.

Unless you are just getting back from a two-month long vacation in the Sahara Desert, you are aware of the struggles of Boston's beloved slugger David Ortiz.

After arriving in Boston in 2003, David Ortiz quickly captured the hearts of millions of Sox fans after the comeback in the 2004 ALCS against the hated Yankees.

David Ortiz became a staple in the No. 3 hole of the Red Sox line up for four years. All of a sudden, Mr. Ortiz can't seem to catch a break in the early part of the 2009 season.

The Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 8-3 in Boston Wednesday night. It was a great night for the Sox in many ways, and possibly their best game of the season to date.

Toronto's Brett Cecil and first-year Red Sox Brad Penny were the starters of tonight's game.

Cecil came into the game 2-0 with an ERA of 1.80, one of the young pitchers stepping up for Toronto's injury-filled rotation. Penny entered the night with an ERA of 6.69, despite a winning 3-1 record.

Dennis Eckersley said it on NESN: every last fan in Fenway was blowing on that ball, willing it past the wall and into the camera well. 

When it landed, Red Sox Nation exploded: a late October slam could hardly draw a louder roar, and the feeling couldn’t really be better.

Perhaps it was that the AL East leading Blue Jays were in town. Perhaps it was that a rather tough West Coast trip had just ended and it was nice to have the guys back in the friendly confines. Or maybe it had something to do with the need to keep warm with a first pitch temperature around 60 degrees.

Whatever it was, the fans at Fenway park were in a good mood on Tuesday evening.  They were active, animated, and involved in a game that was, for the most part, a real yawner. But nowhere was their mood more evident than in their services performed on behalf of David Ortiz.

All the rage lately has been about David Ortiz and his season-long slump. As of May 17, this is one of the longest homerless streaks in Ortiz' career.

Because of this prolonged slump Big Papi is experiencing, it is causing Yankee zealots and Red Sox haters alike to jump the gun, claiming that Ortiz was just one of a slew of Red Sox to take performance enhancing drugs.

Everyone is well-aware of the season-long struggles of Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz, whose numbers (.208-0-15), would be cause for grumblings even for a player such as Jason Varitek, who struggled heavily last season.