3. The Steroid Accusations
Ortiz endured quite a bit of criticism in the wake of the 2003 report which outed a number of MLB players as allegedly testing positive for steroids. Yet, when having to deal with the heat, he handled it like a pro. In an interview with ESPN Ortiz and admitted it was difficult to hear people calling him a cheater and discrediting the hard work he’s put in for years to become the player he is. “I had to put up with that. I’ve got to put up with ghosts,” he said. “It’s like I always say — in the time where we have the best drug-testing program in all of sports, I’ve never failed a test and I keep on putting up numbers. So if you want to hate and you want to put attention to that, it’s up to you.” When speaking as to how it may have injured his chances at the Hall of Fame, Ortiz further explained. “I work my butt off to do that, to be there. My numbers talk for themselves. But I have no control over it. I can’t control that. If I don’t make it to the Hall of Fame because of that, I’m not going to die. I’m just going to continue being the same person I am.”