David Ortiz claims former Manager Bobby Valentine is mentally unstable – MLB Update
After signing a two year $26 million deal with the Boston Red Sox, Designated Hitter David Ortiz responded forcefully to former Manager Bobby Valentine’s claim that Ortiz had decided not to play after the Red Sox traded away three star players in August
2012.
In an interview last week, Valentine had stated that Ortiz’s needed just a week to recover from his injury but instead he was on the disabled list for nearly six weeks. In September, he had an injection to speed up the healing process but he decided not
to return as the Red Sox had pretty much lost the American League East Division title race by then.
“No. 1, never bite the hand that feeds you, because in the end that will come back to bite you,” Ortiz said. “I was one of those players that always showed support for him. In fact, I held a couple of player meetings.”
“No. 2, the day that I returned from the DL, I told him that I was not sure what percentage health-wise I was in, but that I could not be out there without trying to help. When I told him that, I put my career on the side to help him and the team,” he added.
The 36-year-old Ortiz, who was talking to the reporters at Fenway Park, alleged that Valentine is mentally unstable. Red Sox’s outfielder claimed that him not playing in last six weeks of the regular season had nothing to do with Red Sox’s mega trade in
August.
Ortiz has given some impressive performances in his 10-year tenure with the Red Sox. He played a key role in his team’s World Series title winning campaign in 2006. He is also a very famous figure among the Red Sox’s fans.
The 36-year-old rejected the claims that he did not play in September because the Red Sox had given up on the season. He further added that it was Valentine’s decision to shut him down.
Ortiz was one of those players who always showed support for Valentine. It is not clear what exactly went wrong between the two. It will be interesting to see if Ortiz can shut his critics by leading the Red Sox back in 2013.
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