David Ortiz loves baseball, but he has some issues with the current version of the game that is being played.
Ortiz, who last played in 2016, has served as an analyst for FOX. He conducted an interview with The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham for a story published on Saturday. The article is worth your time.
In his conversation with Abraham, Ortiz complained that hitters in today’s game emphasize the home run too much, and the result is a worse product that is difficult for him to watch.
“To me it’s messed up,” Ortiz told Abraham. “The game has changed a lot. Coaches only want kids to hit home runs and that’s all they practice because they want to get paid.”
Ortiz says the game has become about just strikeouts and home runs, which he says is “boring.”
“We used to be criticized for taking big swings in certain situations. Now that’s all they want every time. It’s hard to watch for me,” he said.
The statistical influence on baseball resulted in hitters being taught to go for home runs. In a way, it’s similar to the NBA, where the league has mostly become about 3-pointers and dunks, as the mid-range game has been abandoned for being low-percentage.
Theo Epstein was hired by the MLB commissioner’s office to help address some of these issues and make the game more fun.
During his playing career, Ortiz was a 10-time All-Star and 3-time World Series champion. He led the league in home runs once, RBIs three times, and walks twice. He will be on the Hall of Fame ballot next year for the first time.
The 45-year-old also says he has recovered from being shot in 2019 and only needs one more surgery.
