Ortiz signs book in Yankees heartland

Ortiz signs book in Yankees heartland

	Published : Mon, 30 Apr 2007 22:08 By : Agencies Print this Story

NEW YORK (AP) - This was how Yankees fans liked to see David Ortiz -- with a pen in hand, rather than a bat. Hoping for another big hit, the Boston slugger signed copies of his autobiography Monday at a Manhattan bookstore.

'It's surprising,' said Ortiz, hitting .297 with seven home runs and 22 RBIs. 'You sign a book in New York and you don't know what to expect, but everything's been pretty cool.'

'People show their respect and like the way I do my thing out there,' he said.

Hundreds of fans, many wearing Red Sox paraphernalia and some sporting Yankees gear, waited over an hour for Ortiz to sign his book, 'Big Papi.'

Ortiz shook hands, posed for pictures and was all smiles while decked out in diamond earrings, a gold chain and a diamond-encrusted watch.

Ortiz has a penchant for getting key hits against New York, and he homered Sunday as the Red Sox won 7-4 at Yankee Stadium. Boston is 5-1 against the Yankees this season and leads them by 6 1/2 games in the AL East.

The Red Sox were idle Monday and play Oakland on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.

The Yankees and their $195 million payroll are in last place at 9-14, losing eight of their last 10. New York plays at Texas on Tuesday night.

'Everybody asked the same question, but we play a lot of games throughout the year,' Ortiz said. 'We are playing well right now and you don't know what's going to happen at the end but we are going to try to keep on doing it.

'Every year (the Yankees) have a tough time putting it together in the beginning but they find a way to put things together later on in the season,' he said. 'Hopefully not.'

Ortiz said he thought it would likely still come down to the Yankees and Red Sox at the end of the year.

'That's what everybody would like to see,' the designated hitter said.

Ortiz writes of a comeback of his own in the book, growing up poor in the Dominican Republic and signing with Seattle. He later went to Minnesota, which released him before he came to the Red Sox in 2003. Ortiz will make $12.75 million this season.

'We are talking about a book people love reading,' Ortiz said. 'People love to get to know about all of us. In my book I talk about my life and tell people that it doesn't matter what you go through, if you keep on fighting you might get to the point where you want to be.

'It doesn't matter how many times they knock you down. It matters how many times you can get up,' he said.