Who's Your Papi...??? Ask The O's Kevin Gregg

((HT: MLB/NESN/youtube))

This is what we needed to get the mid-season break going in Major League Baseball- a nice bench-clearing brawl...

Friday night had the Red Sox and Orioles...

David Ortiz never backed down as a batter, and Kevin Gregg never backed down as a closer... and it happened again... with the two of them facing another...

Here's the at-bat... and both times that Ortiz went after Gregg...


"I don't feel proud of a situation like that, but I'm the kind of person that don't like being pushed, you know what I'm saying? I feel like I was pushed last night to do something like that," said Ortiz. "Everybody has a button, and once it gets touched, it changes your mind in a second. So, I guess that was my time."

Gregg was mad that Ortiz, in his mind, took his time when the teams knew it was an out to short right... Ortiz was just, you know, taking his time...

Interesting to see if we get a sequel any time soon...

Ortiz: "I Never Used Steroids"

((HT: Boston Globe/Lefort))

At a news conference at Yankee Stadium this afternoon, David Ortiz stated definitively that he "never used steroids" or bought them, but acknowledged that he was "careless" when he was "buying supplements and vitamins over the counter."

"I definitely was a little bit careless back in those days when I was buying supplements and vitamins over the counter -- legal supplements, legal vitamins over the counter -- but I never buy steroids or used steroids," Ortiz said during a news conference before the Red Sox played the Yankees (read his opening comments). "I never thought that buying supplements and vitamins, it was going to hurt anybody's feelings."

Ortiz thinks it was those supplements and vitamins that likely caused him to land on a list of alleged drug users seized by the federal government, and Major League Baseball and the players' association said some of the names on the list never tested positive for steroids.

MLB said in a statement that at most 96 urine samples tested positive in the 2003 survey -- and the players' association said 13 of those were in dispute.

The government seized the samples and records the following year from baseball's drug-testing companies as part of the BALCO investigation. The list of 104 players alleged to have tested positive has been the subject of a five-year legal fight with the union trying to force the government to return what federal agents took during raids. The New York Times reported at the end of July that Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were on the 2003 list.

MLB players association chief Michael Weiner, who sat at Ortiz's side during the press conference, indicated that there would be no way for Ortiz to know anything about his test results: "There would be no way to assess if something he took" resulted in a positive test result, Weiner said.

Ortiz said that when he met with Weiner in 2004, he wasn't told he tested positive for steroids. Weiner, who has been designated to succeed union head Donald Fehr, said that because the list is under court seal, the union can't confirm to Ortiz that he tested positive, only that he was on the list.

"I want to apologize to fans for the distraction, my teammates, our manager," Ortiz said, flanked by Weiner, with Boston manager Terry Francona standing behind and to the side. "This past week has been a nightmare to me."

Ortiz said he has tested negative about 15 times since baseball's program with penalties began in 2004 and additional times for the World Baseball Classic. The Red Sox issued a statement backing him (read the full statement).

"There are substantial uncertainties and ambiguity surrounding the list of 104 names," the Red Sox said. "David Ortiz is a team leader, and his contributions on the field and in the community have earned him respect and a special place in the hearts of Red Sox Nation."

Citing court orders, Weiner wouldn't say whether the union asked courts to authorize an investigation into the source of the leaks. He did say that if the union wins the legal fight to have the records returned, which may end up before the Supreme Court, it likely would comply with requests from players on the list to tell them what they were said to have used.

"Given the uncertainties inherent in the list, we urge the press and the public to use caution in reaching conclusions based on leaks of names, particularly from sources whose identities are not revealed," Major League Baseball said in a statement.

Weiner said a player alleged to be on the list "finds himself in an extremely unfair position; his reputation has been threatened by a violation of the court's orders, but respect for those orders now leaves him without access to the information that might permit him to restore his good name."

"Accordingly, the presence of a player's name on any such list does not necessarily mean that the player used a prohibited substance or that the player tested positive under our collectively bargained program," Weiner said.

The survey was designed to determine whether baseball needed mandatory random drug testing with penalties starting in 2004, with a 5 percent threshold for positives triggering future testing. While the exact number of 2003 positives was subject to dispute, the sides never worked that out because they agreed the percentage was over the threshold.

"Substantial scientific questions exist as to the interpretation of some of the 2003 test results," Weiner said. "The more definitive methods that are utilized by the lab that administers the current drug agreement were not utilized by the lab responsible for the anonymous testing program in 2003. The collective bargaining parties did not pursue definitive answers regarding these inconclusive results, since those answers were unnecessary to the administration of the 2003 program."

Under the rules of the 2003 testing, Weiner said "legally available nutritional supplements could trigger an initial 'positive' test under our program."

"Each 'test' conducted in 2003 actually consisted of a pair of collections: The first was unannounced and random, the second was approximately seven days later, with the player advised to cease taking supplements during the interim," Weiner said. "Under the 2003 program, a test could be initially reported as 'positive,' but not treated as such by the bargaining parties on account of the second test."

Weiner also said Ortiz wanted to answer questions a lot sooner than today's press conference, implying that it was the union that urged him to wait.

"If it were simply up to David he would have been before you much earlier than today," Weiner said.

The Globe's Adam Kilgore reported from the Red Sox clubhouse that while the press conference was going on, players were sitting quietly in their stalls watching Ortiz speak on four monitors coming down from ceiling.

Here are Papi's opening remarks, thanks to our friends at NECN

Papi Acknowledges Positive '03 Test

((HT: National Post))

Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz ((pictured, thanks Johnathan Hurst/Reuters file)) became the latest star implicated in baseball's ever-growing drug scandal, acknowledging on Thursday that the players' union confirmed he tested positive in 2003.

Shortly after hitting the go-ahead home run that beat Oakland 8-5, Ortiz responded to a story on The New York Times' website that he and former teammate Manny Ramirez tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs six years ago.

"I've just been told that the report is true," Ortiz said in a statement after contacting the union. "Based on the way I lived my life I'm surprised to learn I tested positive."

The popular Big Papi, who had never been linked to drugs, said he intended to find out what was in his system and would tell the Red Sox and the public.

"You know me - I will not hide and I will not make excuses," he said.

Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa are among the many all-stars tainted by the drug cloud, which has called into question some of the sport's greatest achievements over the last two decades.

Ortiz and Ramirez led the Red Sox to the World Series title in 2004 - their first in 86 years - and another championship in 2007.

Ramirez, now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, recently served a 50-game suspension for violating baseball's drug policy. Asked about this second alleged doping violation, he told reporters in St. Louis: "You want more information, I'm pretty sure you guys got the phone number to the union. Call the union, and they can explain that to you guys."

More than 100 major leaguers tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003 - the results were supposed to be anonymous and are now under court seal.

"Precisely for that reason, the Players Association will not, indeed cannot, comment on whether the information is accurate," outgoing union leader Donald Fehr said.

The Times' story cited lawyers involved in pending litigation over the testing results who spoke anonymously because the information is under seal by a court order. The newspaper did not say what the players tested positive for.

The results from the 2003 tests were supposed to remain anonymous but were seized by federal agents. Rodriguez admitted using performance-enhancing drugs after he was linked to the 2003 list. And in June, The Times reported Sosa also was on the 2003 list.

Ramirez was a long-established star in 2003. Ortiz, in contrast, had been a part-time player before that season.

Ortiz had never hit more than 20 homers in a season as a part-time player in Minnesota early in his career. He came to Boston as a platoon player in 2003 and had four homers by July 1, then hit 27 the rest of the year.

Ortiz followed up with seasons of 41, 47 and 54 home runs as he established himself as one of the best sluggers in the game.

Last year, he dipped to 23 home runs, and his slump continued this season. He went into Thursday's game hitting .224 with only 13 homers.

Ramirez returned from his suspension this month and quickly re-established his presence in the middle of the lineup for the NL West-leading Dodgers.

Boos have rained down on Ramirez throughout this week's series in St. Louis whenever he comes to the plate or touches the ball.

"He's a great player and I don't think the suspension has anything to do with it," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "Personally, if he never got suspended they'd still be booing the hell out of him."

"I think the reception would have been the same. Some people hate the long hair or whatever it is, or the fact he's a free spirit," he said.

NY Times: Manny And Papi On '03 Steroids List

((HT: MyFoxBoston))

David Ortiz ((ictured, thanks WFXT-TV file)) and Manny Ramirez, the sluggers who led Boston to a pair of World Series championships, were among the more than 100 Major League Baseball players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003, according to a report in The New York Times.

The article posted on the newspaper's Web site Thursday cited lawyers involved in pending litigation over the testing results who spoke anonymously because the information is under seal by a court order.

Ortiz declined comment to the paper before the Red Sox played Oakland. The popular-but-slumping Big Papi had not been previously linked to positive tests.

Ortiz came up in the second inning Thursday and was cheered by the sold-out crowd at Fenway Park. He lined the first pitch off the Green Monster for a double.

Ramirez, now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, recently served a 50-game suspension for violating baseball's drug policy.

Major League Baseball declined to comment on the Times' report, telling The Associated Press it didn't have the list of the 104 players who tested positive six years ago. The players' union also declined comment.

Red Sox owner John Henry did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

In 2004, Ortiz and Ramirez led Boston to their first World Series championship since 1918. The sluggers helped the Red Sox win another title in 2007.

The results from the 2003 tests were supposed to remain anonymous, but they later were seized by federal agents. Alex Rodriguez admitted using performance-enhancing drugs after he was linked to the 2003 list. And in June, The Times reported that Sammy Sosa also was on the 2003 list.

Ramirez was a long-established star in 2003. Ortiz, in contrast, had been a part-time player before that season.

Ortiz had never hit more than 20 homers in a season as a part-time player in Minnesota early in his career. He came to Boston as a platoon player in 2003 and had four homers by July 1, then hit 27 the rest of the year.

Ortiz followed up with seasons of 41, 47 and 54 home runs as he established himself as one of the best sluggers in the game.

Last year, he dipped to 23 home runs and his slump continued this season. He went into Thursday's game hitting .224 with only 13 homers.

Ramirez returned from his suspension this month and quickly re-established his presence in the middle of the lineup for the NL West-leading Dodgers.

Boos have rained down on Ramirez throughout this week's series in St. Louis whenever he comes to the plate or touches the ball.

"He's a great player and I don't think the suspension has anything to do with it," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "Personally, if he never got suspended they'd still be booing the hell out of him."

"I think the reception would have been the same. Some people hate the long hair or whatever it is, or the fact he's a free spirit," he said.

WBZ-TV caught up with Big Papi during Spring training this year to ask him about that whole steroids thing...