Best thing that could happen for us: Papi hits one

Yeah, it was pleasurable counting those days, weeks, months since Papi's last potato.

This is better. Now, instead of being benched or dropped in the order, David Ortiz will continue to coagulate within the Redsock blood, out by out, pitch by pitch -- occasionally soiling the Nation's underwear with a George Scott blast from from the past.

They were a week away from benching him, three from trading for a Maglio Ordonez.

Now, they wait for the re-emergence.

As we did... in the 1980s from John Mayberry, Ron Kittle, Danny Tartabull, Gary Ward, et al. In recent years with Raul Mondesi, Bobby Abreu, Rondell White, Jose Canseco, et al.

It's the seduction of that aging slugger who might have another season -- that bogus hope for everything to be like it was.

Let them enjoy the ride.

They were ready to drop Papi like they dropped every other Redsock star who loses his game.

Now, they'll keep him, rather than move on... which in Redsockese is pronounced "Mo Vaughn."