BABY ORTIZ

On Friday night, David Ortiz found himself in the middle of a beanball battle, and I'm sorry, but he was the baby of the group. All laundry aside, he charged the mound because someone told him to run to first base instead of jog casually to his dugout. Really? That reminds me of Gerald Williams in 2000, charging the mound because Pedro spat in his general direction. Is that all it takes for these overly sensitive prima donna hitters to make a move toward the pitcher?

Know what, Ortiz got thrown at. Belt high. And he threw a hissy fit. As so many hitters have thrown so many times the last decade and a half. It's become an insult if a pitcher dares try to reclaim the inside of the plate, especially against a hulking lefty.

Sorry folks, but Gregg went about things the right way. He aimed for Ortiz's fleshy middle section, missed, and then got the stare down. Then it happened again. Ortiz's temper tantrum over inside pitching is just the latest example of hitters acting like spoiled babies who think the entire plate belongs to them.

And as far as the Red Sox go, I want Ortiz leaning over the plate. He's a better hitter when he takes control over that territory. But I'm not going to defend him when he acts like a baby because someone pitched inside to him. Especially not when it's all well below the skull. And I'm not going to praise his pugilistic prowess because he threw a mighty hook/uppercut that completely missed (because he was off-balance. Mick from Rocky would have tied a rope between his ankles).

Ortiz fights about as well as he fields. The Orioles actually pitched him inside. Something the Yankees have never had the stones to do. And I'm not going to criticize another team for following the basic fundamental principles of pitching. I also think Ortiz charging the mound for something as trivial as Gregg's gestures is beyond childish. Ortiz threw a temper tantrum, we here in Boston are praising him for it, but I think he acted like a spoiled baby.