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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, June 4, 2009

MLB: Slumping Red Sox slugger Ortiz plans to get eyes checked


Associated Press

DETROIT — David Ortiz doesn’t think that his season-long slump has anything to do with his eyes. At this point, though, he’s willing to try just about anything.

Ortiz, who didn’t play in Boston’s 6-3 win over Detroit Thursday, is hitting .187 with just one home run this season.
“I’ve been thinking about getting my eyes checked — for real,” he said. “My vision has always been 20-20, and I’m not feeling anything crazy, but I’m going to get it checked out.”
Ortiz’s struggles have been obvious enough that Tigers manager Jim Leyland said that he and his coaching staff discussed abandoning the radical shift they have customarily used against him. While they eventually chose to continue using it, they did alter how far they played Ortiz to pull, moving shortstop Adam Everett back to the third-base side of second and putting centerfielder Curtis Granderson closer to straightaway.
Ortiz went 1-for-5 in the series opener, hitting into a double play and striking out three times, but had better success on Wednesday. He flew out to the wall in the deepest part of Comerica Park, then hit a two-run, bases-loaded double.