David Ortiz is fed up and he expressed that sentiment Friday after getting plunked by Tampa Bay left-hander David Price during a 3-2 win.
Price has hit Ortiz before, but the Sox' slugger claims the two quashed the matter after a phone call from Price helped ease tensions between them.
But the truce is over. In addition to hitting Ortiz, Price also got a piece of flesh from first baseman Mike Carp on Friday.
Surprisingly, it was the hitting of Carp that got Ortiz fired up. It appears that Ortiz believes Price is expanding his attack - going after 'Big Papi's' teammates is hitting way below the belt. Now the feud is back on, so says Ortiz.
"It's a war," Ortiz said. "It's on. Next time he hits me, he better bring the gloves. I have no respect for him no more."
Ortiz's anger is understandable. And it's reasonable to believe he will go after Price the next time a pitch strays too close to his body or hits him. The clubs aren't scheduled to meet again until July 25 in Tampa. Until then Price is winning this battle.
Price issued his response to Ortiz's declaration on Saturday.
"He was mad; I get it," Price said. "We all say stupid stuff when we're mad. [I have] been there. I'm sure he probably wishes he wouldn't have said some of the things he said. You can't relate the game that we play to a war.
"Kellen Winslow got a lot of crap for saying he was a soldier. You're not a soldier. This is not war. We have troops fighting for us that are in a war. It's not a good comparison."
Ortiz has not responded to Price's counterpunch, and he shouldn't. There is nothing he can say to even the contest at this point.
Price is the bad guy in this scenario, especially if it's proven that he hit Ortiz intentionally on Friday. Ortiz has every right to protect himself. But Price delivered ultimate verbal punch.
Comparing what they do to in sport to 'war,' is a bad habit too many athletes share. American soldiers are involved in life-and-death battles to protect the freedoms we in the United States too often take for granted. Athletes entertain; that's the extent of their contribution to society, though many make contributions outside the field of play.
When Price faces the Red Sox again, a physical confrontation with Ortiz is highly likely -- if he hits a Boston batter, any batter. But no matter how angry Ortiz might feel, a fistfight with Price on the field won't resemble war in the least.
For now, Price has Ortiz on wobbly legs: It's Ortiz who's felt the sting of fastballs to his body and now he's feeling the pain of having his words categorized as 'stupid.' Unfortunately, there is nothing Ortiz can say to counter Price, other than to admit his nemesis is correct.
War is war; baseball is baseball. It's that simple. To say otherwise is just plan 'stupid.'
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