Palmer takes blasts from fans in stride
Red Sox loyalists furious about Hall of Famer’s criticism of Ortiz
Hall of Famer Jim Palmer is suddenly Public Red Sox Enemy No. 1 after sending out a tweet Sunday that criticized Sox designated hitter David Ortiz for the histrionics that got him ejected from a tight game against the Orioles and led to him being suspended for one game and fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball.
Palmer’s tweet read, “FINALLY, Ortiz gets tossed. #disrespectful #zipitOrtiz @Orioles @masnOrioles” and it caused a tweet storm, with angry Red Sox fans blasting Palmer for both his baseball and broadcasting skills. Some of them apparently were too young — or too angry — to realize that he was one of the greatest pitchers of the modern era.
“They’re a loyal bunch, aren’t they,” Palmer said in a telephone interview Tuesday.
The Orioles television analyst, who was not working Sunday’s game, took it all in good humor and retweeted a lot of the most vociferous shots before heading off to Disney World this week with his stepson, Spencer.
The Orioles had just taken a 5-3 lead in the fifth inning of a game they eventually won by a five-run margin. Ortiz reacted badly when he tried to check his swing and third base umpire Jerry Meals called it a strike. He had protested a similar call during his first at-bat and the umpiring crew apparently had seen enough. He was ejected by plate umpire John Tumpane.
“I was watching on my couch,’’ Palmer said. “I’m sure the Orioles were elated that he wasn’t available to hit in the seventh or eighth inning, though I doubt anyone would say that. Was he right? It looked like a check swing to me, but do you know how many pitches I thought were strikes during my career that weren’t called? You’ve just got to move on.”
Ortiz told Boston reporters he thought Palmer was a friend.
“That’s how he wants to get respect from us? Is that how he wants me to respect him? It’s not going to happen,” Ortiz said. “I thought that he was one of my guys. All of a sudden now he’s killing me, huh? I guess anybody who wants to get famous or make some noise comes to Papi, right?”
Palmer said he does not feel any personal animosity toward Ortiz, who obviously is a well-loved figure in Boston.
“I have great admiration for him, but that’s got nothing to do with this,’’ Palmer said. “I saw [ Carl Yastrzemski], Jim Rice … I’ve seen some of the greatest Red Sox ever and I played against them. I never saw one of them do that. It was a tight game.”
The Twitter division of Red Sox Nation didn’t seem to care about any of that. They just wanted to pile on Palmer.
“It’s funny,’’ Palmer said. “I haven’t heard from one of them — not one — who has been able to rationalize that what David did on Sunday helped the Orioles win.”
Mora honored to join Orioles Hall
Melvin Mora was taking a few of his 13-year-old quintuplets to practice recently when he received a phone call from the Orioles. He said he had no idea what it was about until Bill Stetka, the club’s director of alumni, informed Mora that he had been elected to the Orioles Hall of Fame by members of the local media, club officials and the Orioles Advocates fan group.
“I didn’t know what to say because I was just nervous. I was with my kids, and I’m like, ‘Let’s go, I have somebody on the line,’ ” Mora said. “I was in shock because they were announcing that. I was just excited. ... I was like, ‘OK, this is a dream come true.’ ”
Mora played 10 of his 13 big league seasons with the Orioles — all during the club’s record losing streak. He came over in the club’s infamous fire sale of veterans in July 2000 and was the only player the Orioles acquired during that period who panned out.
A super-utility player, he eventually was given a full-time chance at third base and played more games there than any player in club history but Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson. He logged more games at third than Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., who was Mora’s teammate in 2000 and 2001.
“It’s not easy to replace a guy like Cal Ripken Jr., and to play the position that Brooks Robinson played so well for so many years. It’s kind of hard,” Mora said. “So, without the people in Baltimore I don’t think I could do it. … The fans, they helped me in my career and they supported me through all the years in Baltimore.”
Hardy heads to Norfolk
Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy’s progress from a left shoulder strain hasn’t improved in about a week.
Hardy flew to Virginia on Tuesday to join Triple-A Norfolk to work out because they are the only Orioles affiliate playing at home.
For the second straight day, Hardy did not take live batting practice; instead he fielded grounders and hit off a tee. He could resume live hitting today, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.
Wieters to catch on Friday
Catcher Matt Wieters is expected to catch two to three innings in an extended spring training game Friday in Sarasota, Fla.
It would be the first time he has been allowed to throw with full effort since he was shelved following one Grapefruit League game last month.
Around the horn
During batting practice Tuesday, third baseman Jimmy Paredes was hit on the right side of the face with a batted ball that took a bad hop off the Rogers Centre’s new artificial turf. He was escorted off the field by head trainer Richie Bancells, but was OK, according to a team spokesman, and available off the bench.