I think I might like it around here.

Hi all. Fenway West has invited me to come on over and play with all y'all. I love talking about anything and everything Red Sox. So, let me tell you all a little bit about myself and then jump right into Sox discussions.

Things to know about Shelley:

• I'm from New York and yes, a Red Sox fan. Where I live is in Upstate NY, so it can seem very New Englandy, but I still have to endure guys wearing Yankee Damon t-shirts and that just is not right.


• I tend to hang around and chat during games over at Center Field. It's a good time had by all. Come on over and hang out with us. We don't bite, unless the Sox are losing and then all bets are off.
  


• I am an unapologetic JD Drew fan. He is not the most loved member of the Sox, but I just love everything about the guy. I think he's the definition of a clutch hitter. His salary is outrageous, but that's Theo's fault, not JD's. I tend to really enjoy reminding people about his awesomeness when he does something...awesome.
  


• I tend to use or overuse the following words: hilarious, ridiculous, awesome. Be prepared.


• I am opinionated. No doubt. But I never assume I am always right. And, when I am wrong...I will fully admit it. Case in point...I am not a Julio Lugo fan, but I have done nothing but sing his praises for his performance last night.


• I have a blog. Feel free to visit it. It's where I blather about random things...like my love of ellipticals...reality tv and whatever thoughts come into my mind. I also like Twitter and tend to post like a crazy fool during Sox games.

Ok, now that we have gotten that out of the way. Let's talk about David Ortiz for a minute, shall we? We all know that watching Papi last night going 0-7 was brutal. BRUTAL. The Globe had an article today about Papi and his woes. As of this very moment, there are 230 comments on that article. If you have a couple of hours to kill, read it over.

Let me summarize some of the comments left:

• Papi should head down to the minors to work on getting his swing back.
• Papi should be traded.
• Papi should be moved down in the lineup.
• We should trade Papelbon for a good hitter since we have Bard now.
• Papi is a hero from 04 and 07 and everyone should leave him alone.
• Terry Francona is too afraid to do what needs to be done with Ortiz.
• Ortiz like his buddy Manny was on the steroids and that is why he is in such decline.

So, that about sums up the comments. People are often inclined to play armchair Manager. I know I do it. It's human nature. We all like to think we know better than Theo or Tito, etc. In my opinion, Rocco should have been pitch hitting for Papi last night, especially when we were in extra innings. That would have left Drew in the lineup and let Papi sit on a dreadfully bad night. I also think he should be moved down the lineup. He needs to get to the point where his numbers show he is a #3 guy.

The comments that drive me wild and not in a good way are the ones about Ortiz and steroids. People are talking about how it is a given that Papi took steroids. We have no proof whatsoever that David Ortiz has ever...EVER...taken steroids. To make the assumption that his decline is because he is "no longer on the juice" is just reckless. David Ortiz, in my opinion, does not deserve that. He is not guilty by association because of the recent news about Manny.

I still believe in David Ortiz. I am not giving up on him. Yes, this year has been a frustrating one at the plate. He hasn't just started slowly, he hasn't really started at all. I still am hopeful that he will get his swing worked out, will get some pitches to hit and the debate of "What to do with Papi?" will be a distant memory. It gets harder every single day, but I still say with pride I BELIEVE IN DAVID ORTIZ.