Littman: Ortiz’s reputation falling as hard as batting average

Someone call Manny Ramirez, because David Ortiz needs a hug.

It’s been a rough year… Someone call Manny Ramirez, because David Ortiz needs a hug.

It’s been a rough year or so for the Red Sox slugger, who won over baseball fans with his infectious smile, brute power and pre-batting routine of spitting in each hand, then clapping. It’s more charming than it sounds.

But now Ortiz has come crashing down almost as quickly as his batting average.

We’ll start back on July 30, 2009, when The New York Times published an article saying Ortiz tested positive for performance- enhancing drugs in 2003. He was an unthreatening designated hitter for the Twins from 1997-2002, never hitting more than 20 homeruns in one season. Then in 2003, he went to Boston and hit 31 homeruns. Then he hit 41 the next season, 47 after that and 54 in 2006. His past three homerun totals —– 35, 23 and 28 —– haven’t been as high, but they’re still more than he ever hit in Minnesota.

Realistically, a story about a great baseball player testing positive for steroids at some point in the past two decades isn’t shocking. For roughly the past 20 years, baseball was the Pig-Pen of sports.

Ah, but of course this isn’t only about one little failed steroid test. No, Ortiz has continued to fall almost as quickly as his slugging percentage.

After the first two games of this season, Ortiz was 0-7. Reporters questioned him about his slow start, and Ortiz wasn’t too happy about it.

“You guys wait ‘till [expletive] happens, then you can talk [expletive],” Ortiz told ESPN.com. “Two [expletive] games, and already you [expletives] are going crazy.”

Despite a fondness for madlibs, it’s probably best we don’t try to fill in those words. Want to try these?

“What’s up with that, man? [Expletive]. [Expletive] 160 games left. That’s a [expletive]. One of you [expletives] got to go ahead and hit for me,.”Ortiz said.

That third expletive has me really intrigued. Of course, the first and second ones are fun to think about because they’re back to back, but that third one is the shining star in the hissy fit.

Well, no time to dwell on that, so let’s keep moving. Last week, Reuters.com reported that Jay-Z and Juan Perez, his business partner, sued Ortiz.

Ortiz opened a bar in his native Dominican Republic and named it Forty/Forty. Jay-Z and Perez own a chain of sports bars known as the 40/40 Club, with locations in New York City and Atlantic City, with, N.J., and more opening this year in Chicago, Tokyo and Macau, according to the chain’sits website. The club is named for baseball’s 40-40 club, when aone player hits 40 homeruns and steals 40 bases in onea season. Only Jose Canseco (1988), Barry Bonds (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998) and Alfonso Soriano (2006) have joined the invented club.

Just for fun, if you combine Ortiz’s career steals with Jay-Z’s, you have 10 stolen bases. Of course, Ortiz has played 1,460 more professional baseball games than Jay-Z.

That brings us to today, arguably Ortiz’s lowest point: a known steroid user with a foul mouth who got on Jay-Z’s bad side. Also, Ortiz is hitting .171 this season with no homeruns, three walks, 15 strikeouts and a .237 on-base percentage.

He also has zero stolen bases.

Ortiz needs to watch out, as Jay-Z might come for his nickname, Big Papi, next. Ortiz was given the nickname upon arriving in Boston in 2003, but in 2000, Jay-Z had a song called “Hey Papi.” Had Ortiz heard the chorus —– “Even if they don’t understand the flow / They understand the dough” —– he would’ve known not to interfere with Jay-Z’s money. If Ortiz had a sense of humor, he’d change his club to a hotel, and give each room a menu offering, “No room service — just snacks and [poop].”

But Ortiz shouldn’t feel too bad about the Jay-Z situation. He’s not the first athlete to get into a tiff with a rapper.

Back in 2000, Boston Celtic Paul Pierce was stabbed 11 times at a nightclub, and the three men arrested for the stabbing all had ties to the rap group Made Men, according to the Associated Press. Made Men was a group that first appeared in the late ’ 90s and released just one album.

A year later, a less violent incident occurred when bad boy rapper Aaron Carter claimed he beat then-Lakers star Shaquille O’Neal in a one-on-one basketball game in his song “That’s How I Beat Shaq.” There are a few things that have been disputed for years. First, who plays one-on-one games with a timer? Next, why was Shaq patrolling parks looking for a 13-year-old to play basketball against? Is the hoop Carter balances on in the video 10-feet high, or can he fly? Also, wouldn’t Shaq have been more amusing in the video for “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)?”

You can also make a pretty strong case that Kobe Bryant’s “K.O.B.E.” and Roy Jones Jr.’s “Ya’ll Must’ve Forgot” are the audio equivalent of being stabbed 11 times.

For Ortiz, one of the more jovial athletes in recent memory, it’s been a sad, slow decline.

Almost as slow as Ortiz trying to steal a base. Or his present-day bat speed.