Does Ortiz steroid news taint Red Sox titles?

We're all sick of this 2003 steroid test.

Arod. Sammy.

Now, Ortiz and Manny.

Well, we've known Manny Ramirez hasn't been clean for awhile, but David Ortiz?

Big Papi?

This, after just a few months ago, he came out and drew a hard line in the sand, saying if someone tested positive, "Ban 'em for a year."

Hypocrisy? You be the judge.

Was he the only one doing it? Not hardly. We've beat this drum before and most people think 70 percent or higher of all baseball players were using. And we've long had the discussion on whether it should taint the all-time records.

We've all thought about the Barry Bonds asterisks. The Great Home Run Chase of 1998? We're all still wondering if we got one pulled over on us during that great Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa theatre.

We've debated on whether or not steroid users should be allowed in baseball's Hall of Fame. Some think they should have a separate category.

But we haven't talked about team accomplishments.

When the Red Sox won in 2004, it was such a huge story in baseball. The curse was broken. Boston fans could finally die happy. And then they won it again in 2007.

But are these championships legit?

Technically, sure. But what will public opinion say?

Ortiz and Ramirez were the Red Sox offense that year. They combined for 88 home runs and 269 RBI that season. That's over half the entire Pittsburgh Pirates team last season (153).

But it was Big Papi's clutch hitting, night after night, that people look back on and for the first time are starting to see how much it has affected baseball, and to a degree, how much we were all duped.

Great theatre? Or great acting?

Ortiz hit .400 that postseason with 5 HR and 19 RBI in 14 games.

I'll give Papi credit for facing the media, although he did so without actually saying anything:



Is there any wonder why Ortiz only hit 38 career HR in about 1,200 at-bats before signing with the Red Sox, then ripped off seasons of 31, 41, 47 and 54.

Oh, and since baseball's testing and penalties have ratcheted up? He hit 23 HR last year and has 14 this season, hitting .225.

Know what the difference between a 20-HR guy and a 40-HR guy is?

About $15 million a year.

Longtime Twins teammate and good friend Torii Hunter said it best.

"This hurts, this really hurts," Hunter told ESPN.com. "I don't know what to think about this. I guess you just never know what people do in the dark.

"I still love him but at the same time it's tough to hear that. I know it's going to be tough on him and tough on his family once this gets out. It's Big Papi, man, it's the Big Dog of Boston and he helped win two World Series with those guys, with the clutch hits. And now all those things are going to be tainted.

Tainted.

Pretty strong language.

And after about 8 hours to digest the situation, I can't disagree.