David Ortiz isn’t known for his prowess on the bases. But on Sunday, the Boston Red Sox superstar reminded Edwin Diaz and the Seattle Mariners that he can’t be ignored on the bases.
Focusing on the positive first, this is great base running on Big Papi’s part. Ortiz has now stolen 17 bases in his career and two this season. Consider this strong proof that you don’t necessarily need to be fast to be a good base runner. You simply have to pay attention to what the defense is giving you and take advantage of it when you can. That’s what Ortiz did here against Seattle.
On the other hand, this is a terrible mistake on the part of Diaz and the Mariners. Ortiz can only steal a base if the opposing pitcher is simply not paying attention to him. If Diaz had simply given Ortiz one look, Big Papi wouldn’t have gotten any kind of significant lead or jump.
With that, it’s unlikely that he would have even considered stealing a base. Runners — even those with essentially no speed — can’t be allowed to move into scoring position so easily.
Fortunately for Seattle, the mistake did not cost them. Ortiz did not come around to score. Fortunately for Boston, the Red Sox won the game anyway, posting a 2-1 victory.