Hey Big Papi

It's the real Big Papi!

I don't know if people in Maine were aware, but Big Papi David Ortiz is with the Sea Dogs for a rehabilitation assignment before returning to the Red Sox at the end of the week.

OK, I guess people did get the memo:

Large Crowds outside

And in

The excitement was as thick as the Hadlock Air has ever seen for the arrival of Red Sox folk hero David Ortiz. When it was announced about two weeks ago that Ortiz, who has been out since the end of May with an injured wrist, would be playing a few games in Portland, all the remaining tickets sold out instantly. The secondary market was commanding $75 for $8 seats - this, mind you, with no actual guarantee that there would be any major league ballplayers on the field given the fickle nature of both the weather and rehab assignments. But the weather held out, as did Ortiz' wrist, and the crowd was treated to the Big Papi show that it paid to see.

Ready to wheel around the bases

Well, maybe not entirely, as Ortiz did not hit a home run, as he had done three times for the Pawtucket Red Sox in recent days. Papi did manage a two-out walk that sparked a four-run rally in the first, a laser shot single to left in the second, a moon-shot popup to second base in the fourth inning, and a broken-bat flare over the second baseman's head for an RBI single in the sixth. Papi was replaced on the base paths by top prospect Lars Anderson following the RBI single and left to a huge standing ovation. Which of course was followed immediately by a mass exodus by a large chunk of the crowd.

The wrist did not appear to be a problem.

The game itself, an 8-2 Sea Dogs victory, had a lot going on. Portland's Dave Gassner, who gave up 10 runs the other time I saw him pitch, managed to get through six with only one run allowed. In addition to Papi and Anderson, several other top Boston prospects were in the lineup. Smooth-gloved SS Argenis Diaz, who was called up at the same time as Anderson, didn't get many opportunities in the field but did manage to get on base three times. OF Josh Reddick made his AA debut count with a two-run single on the third pitch that he saw. And reliever Daniel Bard tipped 99 on the radar while striking out two in an inning of relief. On the Connecticut side, the most notable events were SS David Maroul committing three errors, and starting pitcher Joey Martinez somehow managing to get into the sixth inning despite throwing 49 pitches and allowing six runs through the first two.

All this was secondary to Big Papi, however. Portland fans have two more days to enjoy this before he's back in Portland and the Sea Dogs grind on without him.