David Ortiz isn’t exactly lighting things up during spring training this year. Yes, I know what your thinking. Ian, its only spring training. But when you had a great hitting coach teaching you things, and he is let go from the organization, you might struggle too.

Ortiz credits Ron “Papa Jack” Jackson with getting him out of his funk towards the end of last season. He helped him get out of a 1 for 12 slump that included the Red Sox record breaking 51st and 52nd homers of the season last year for Ortiz.

“Of course I miss Papa Jack. He was my man. He helped me out a whole lot,” Ortiz said. “But you know how it is. It’s a business. They choose whoever they think has to go at the time.”

But don’t fret Sox fans, we all know what Big Papi is capable of. He will respond to the slow spring training. He will succeed. He will still be the man in the 9th inning to hit the walk-off homeruns to win games. And yes, he will be the one with the big smile in the clubhouse.