Will Red Sox Slugger David Ortiz Show Patience?

It's no secret that David Ortiz's 2009 season is off to a painful start. To date, after 178 at bats, Big Papi simply hasn't come up big; he has only one home run. Saying the Red Sox clean-up man has been unproductive is an understatement. During his most recent game, Ortiz was dropped to the sixth spot in the lineup. While some Red Sox fans have voiced their desire to trade Big Papi, one being my eleven year old son, doesn't Ortiz deserve better then that?

Ortiz has been a great player and personality for the Red Sox organization, but as a designated hitter, Ortiz needs to hit, that's his value to his team. The question is, how patient are the Red Sox going to be with their star? Will Ortiz go the way of Roger Clemens, Mo Vaughn, and Nomar Garciaparra, former Red Sox players who were fan favorites who were sent packing? Since coming over from the Twins, Ortiz has been an invaluable member of the Red Sox team. With the exception of last season, where he spent time on DL, Ortiz has hit 30 or more homers and driven in over 100 RBIs annually.

It's always a tough call when a team is dealing with a popular star player who's struggling. Do the Red Sox deal Ortiz, or do they stand by him and give him the benefit of the doubt, based on past performances? After some time off, Ortiz is back in the Red Sox lineup trying to improve his .185 batting average.

The Red Sox begin inter-league play in a little over a week and start at the Phillies, where there will be no DH. If Ortiz is still struggling at that time, his absence in the lineup may become a common occurrence. Maybe with the loss of Manny, Ortiz thought he had to do more at the plate for the Red Sox, creating a pressure situation for himself. Or, Ortiz could have lingering effects from his injury last year. Whatever the problem is, it will be interesting to see how Ortiz and the Red Sox handle it.

Sources:

Red Sox tenure.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/5909/