Barry Bonds defends David Ortiz’s 2016 performance
Barry Bonds came out in defense of David Ortiz and any speculation about his 2016 success.
Current Miami Marlins hitting coach Barry Bonds knows about having his performance questioned.
Bonds faced speculation of PED use throughout his entire career, which led to all his historic seasons being questioned by media and fans alike.
Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz is facing similar speculation in 2016 because of his success so far.
The 40-year-old is hitting .338 with 16 home runs and 55 RBI through Tuesday night, and holds a team-best .420 on-base percentage as well.
Because of his age and the pessimism associated with watching any player do so well after so many great players were caught cheating, some are questioning how Ortiz is having such a great season.
An article on NESN.com gives Bonds’ thoughts on the matter:
“Let’s get this story right. You guys (the media speculating about Ortiz) are trying to do stuff that’s not proper or truthful. David Ortiz has been a great hitter for a long time. Nothing changes between now and then. He’s just 40, or whatever how old he is. I did it at 40. (Willie) Mays did it at 40. A lot of players did it at 40.”
Bonds makes a great point by saying that Ortiz has been a great hitter throughout his career. He is a career .286 hitter and has 519 home runs, and his role as a designated hitter allows him to avoid the wear and tear that may plague position players who are the same age.
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The speculation surrounding Ortiz’s season is undoubtedly due to the realization that so many great players in the past two decades turned out to be using PEDs, which shattered the innocence associated with cheering for athletes who are having amazing seasons.
This becomes even more true for a power hitter like Ortiz, but no PED could help him hit for such a high average. If he already had 25 home runs but was hitting .220, questions about his performance would have some sort of foundation. But his high average shows that he is just a natural hitter and always has been.
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Barry Bonds was a hitter of the same caliber, only he holds the all-time home run record as well. Speculation about his career will continue on for years, but there should be none toward Ortiz.