It seems like everyone is chiming in with an opinion of the Jorge Posada situation, including Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz. On Saturday evening, Posada admitted he asked for the day off, though he was adamant it was because he needed time to clear his head and allow his sore back to heal, not because manager Joe Girardi moved him to ninth in the lineup.
After the Red Sox downed the Yankees, 6-0, Ortiz spoke to reporters about Posada and the difficulties of being a designated hitter. Ortiz felt the Yankees were doing Posada wrong and was blunt in his assessment about his own role as a DH in Boston.
“You want to know what I think? They’re doing that guy wrong. They’re doing him wrong,” said Ortiz. “You know why? That guy, he is legendary right there in that organization. And dude, DH-ing sucks. DH-ing is not easy.
He went on to criticize the Yankees for keeping Posada from playing catcher. Ortiz infers the position change is messing with Posada’s head, and seems to think the switch is contributing to his struggles.
“From what I heard, they told him from the very beginning that he’s not even going to catch bullpens. That straight up will start messing with your head. And you’re going to tell me that Posada can’t catch a game out there? Come on, man.”
It’s not unexpected to see another player, even from a rival organization, stand-up for Posada. Ortiz knows the struggles the Yankee legend is going through and is all too familiar with lengthy early-season slumps and wavering support from the fan-base. Whether he’s on the mark with his assessment of Posada’s difficulty, though, is still in question.