David Ortiz continues to lash out at those criticizing his contract demands. Credit: Getty Images
David Ortiz talked all things “Big Papi” Wednesday at the Red Sox spring training facility in Fort Myers, Fla.
TheBoston DHspoke at length about a possible contract extension with the club.
“My bosses are more than happy to talk,” Ortiz said, “They’re trying to get this out of the way so it doesn’t get to be a distraction. The contract is going to be taken care of…hopefully, pretty soon.”
The 38-year-old slugger, coming off a year in which he hit 30 HRs, knocked in 103 runs and won the World Series MVP award, is in the final year of a two-year, $30 million pact.
Ortiz, never a bashful person, continued: “I think I’m one of the greatest to wear this uniform. People forget about that…I think it’s very disrespectful for someone out there to say I’m greedy, that all I want to talk about is contracts. When am I going to talk about contracts? When I retire?”
Ortiz went a step further to address his “haters”, saying “Those radio shows, they like to come with their chests wide open and talk trash…People who hate are people not comfortable with you doing well.”
That comment comes on the heels of a profanity-laced tirade he made in an interview on Tuesday with The Boston Herald’s John Tomase.
“Guys putting up my numbers, they’re making $25, $30 million,” said Ortiz. “I’m not asking for that. I’m asking for half of it. And they’re still bitching about it? (Expletive) them. I’m tired of hearing them talk (expletive) about me when I talk about my contract. Hey, every time I talk about my contract, I earn it, (expletive). So don’t be giving me that (expletive).”
When asked about the possibility of retirement, Ortiz treated the notion as a non-starter.
“What is it I’m doing so bad that people want me to retire?” he said. “Last year was a tough year for me (physically) and I survived. Now I feel great. Now I feel way better than last year.”
