Big Papi

The no-longer-accursed Dan Shaughnessy offers up his version of the now-obligatory '67 Yaz/David Ortiz column.

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En route to becoming the last big league player to win a Triple Crown, Yaz dominated the greatest pennant race of them all, hitting .417 (40 for 96) with 9 homers and 26 RBIs after Sept. 1. When the Sox needed to win the final two games of the season in order to stay alive, he went 7 for 8.

How does that happen? How did Yaz do it? How does Ortiz do it?

''You just get so locked in," said the greatest living Red Sox player. ''Nothing bothers you at all. You don't hear the fans. You don't hear anything. You just have this tremendous focus. You think you're the only person in the ballpark.

''It's like, 'Get the ball up here, you're not going to get me out.' On the other hand, when you're not in the zone, the catcher can tell you what's coming and you still can't hit it."

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