Not The Usual Steroid Suspects: David Ortiz is Hot in June

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

So now that David Ortiz has found his stroke again, all the murmurs will start.

This will certainly mirror the talk that surrounded Jason Giambi a couple of years ago.

You all remember, don’t you? Giambi admitted to doing performance-enhancing drugs before the 2004 season, and followed that up with an 80 game, 12 home run season. The murmurs, in that case, became a roar of laughter.

It didn’t get any better in 2005 when he came out of the gate with five home runs in the first 60 games of the season, but Giambi would finish that season with 32 homeruns.

Now follow me here—

The screams of indignation came the loudest in July of 2005, when Giambi belted out 14 bombs in 26 games. You remember that, right?

When the Giambino started smashing homeruns again, the first thing everyone said was, "well, he’s clearly on HGH because they can’t test for that."

I don’t buy it for one second.

He then managed to post three more 30 home run seasons in his career.

Earlier this year, we heard all the rumblings about Ortiz. His slow start this year came on the heels of Papi proclaiming that he had never done steroids.

So predictably, the rumors started, where people without proof—except what they think they know about steroids and steroid use—drew a correlation between Papi’s performance and a lack of use.

Now after two months of slumber, David Ortiz seems to be shaking off the early season slump, and with almost 100 percent accuracy, I can say that those same people that jumped all over Jason Giambi without proof will do the same to Big Papi.

I have several theories as to Ortiz’s slow start; unfortunately, I'm not a hitting coach, and thus have as much proof of them as the above-mentioned steroid accusers.

Here's what I do know—

David is batting .218 with eight home runs on the strength of a June that has seen him go on a tear, hitting .311 with seven of those eight home runs.

So what changed?

Let start here—

Confidence and pressure. It's certainly clear that Papi has always taken on the responsibility of being a key cog in the Red Sox lineup. After being moved out of the third spot in the Sox lineup, it seems as if Ortiz has had the weight of the world taken off his shoulders.

I think it is completely reasonable that in dealing the pain of his wrist and knee injuries, Ortiz had altered his swing to a more comfortable and less effective plan. It would explain why Ortiz has seemingly rectified his inability to catch up the inside fastball. It's Ortiz’s sudden resurgent power stroke that has people talking, after his noticeable drop off in the early 2008 and 2009 seasons.

In April 2009, David Ortiz struck out once in every 3.95 at bats. In May 2009, David Ortiz struck out once in every 3.50 at bats. Then in June 2009, that rate went to one in every 4.625.

His career strikeout rate is one in every 4.69 at bats.

The other stat that I think is tied into David’s new found success, is his BAbip (Batting Average on Balls in Play.)

In April 2009, Papi’s BAbip was .290.

In May 2009, it was .188.

Then, in June 2009, the BAbip for David Ortiz went to .317.

His career numbers would say that his career Babip is .302.

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