Big Papi takes shot at Girardi

David Ortiz blasted a two-run bomb into the right-centerfield stands in the first inning at Yankee Stadium last night.

And in the postgame, the Red Sox designated hitter blasted Yankees manager Joe Girardi for having the gall to comment on the way he had celebrated after a different home run Tuesday night.

"I have almost 370 bombs in the big league," Ortiz said. "He better not make a deal because I bat flip one of them . . . He's going to see how many bat flips I have in [me]."

After hitting a two-run home run off Hector Noesi on Tuesday night, Ortiz had elegantly flipped his bat and did a little pirouette. Girardi took issue with the move after the game, saying he "really didn't care for it."

Wednesday night, there was no bat flipping. Rather, Ortiz made his statement by gently laying the bat down after working A.J. Burnett to a full count and then hitting the home run. The shot set the tone of the game, which the Yankees lost, 11-6.

It was an impressive showing considering that for a good part of the day Ortiz had been the subject of heated discussion among Yankees fans as they debated online and over the airwaves what exactly the Yankees needed to do to put the designated hitter in his place.

During the game, former Yankee Dwight Gooden tweeted: "In the 80s, Ortiz would be laying on his (butt) right now after the stunt he pulled."

Ortiz said he wasn't even thinking about getting hit when he came to the plate.

"Why should I?" he said. "I don't care what [Girardi] says. I come to play the game every day and that's about it . . . You cross a line. You take it like a man. That's it."

The whole flip flap left Boston manager Terry Francona more than a little bewildered, given that he saw the celebration as just Ortiz being Ortiz. And so Francona stoked the fire a little himself before the game, taking a subtle dig at Girardi, whose team has looked fairly awful this series.

"I don't think I get too upset at stuff," Francona said when asked if he had ever been upset by showboating antics on another team. "I personally choose to hope we win the game and spend your energy doing that."

Francona said that as long as his team is winning, he would never ask Ortiz, or anyone else for that matter, to tone down their celebration.

Said Francona, "David has hit a lot of home runs. I'm not sure what the difference is if you flip your bat or look at the dugout or wave at somebody. A lot of guys do stuff."