Ortiz implies Yankees are to blame for PED allegations

In July 2009, Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz was implicated in a New York Times report that, citing anonymous sources, suggested he, along with Sammy Sosa and then-teammate Manny Ramirez, tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

However, Big Papi seems to have a theory on who those sources were all along.

The 10-time All-Star told WEEI on Friday that none other than the New York Yankees are to blame for leaking information regarding a confidential 2003 study Ortiz and more than 100 others took part in.

"What was the reason for them to come out with something like that?" Ortiz said. "The only thing that I can think of, to be honest with you, a lot of big guys from the Yankees were getting caught. And no one from Boston."

Prior to the report, which implicated Ortiz, Matt Lawton was the lone Yankees player to get suspended, receiving a 10-game ban in 2005. Alex Rodriguez would be caught later, in 2013, though he was accused of using steroids as early as 2007 by Jose Canseco.

"A newspaper coming out of New York with that news," Ortiz's theory stewed, "it don't make any sense to me."

In a press conference during Big Papi's retirement tour last season, the commissioner of MLB Rob Manfred exonerated Ortiz of suspicion on the matter. "There were legitimate scientific questions about whether or not those were truly positive (tests)," Manfred explained, before saying, "it was entirely possible that (Ortiz was) not a positive."

Ortiz concluded a 20-year career last season with league-leading numbers in doubles, slugging percentage, RBI, and OPS. Ortiz's name will begin going on Hall of Fame ballots in 2022 and there is some concern that being a suspected PED user could hurt his case for Cooperstown.