Memo to Tavarez: PLEASE don't roll the ball to Ortiz

Big Papi is being stretched as it is.

During regular season play, the big slugger is usually Boston's Designated Hitter, but when inter-league play rolls around, in order to keep his bat alive, the Sox usually make a move to put him at first and slide Youkilis to third (obviously, this is so that the hot hitting Youk can keep contributing as well).

Well, it should be interesting tonight with Julian Tavarez on the mound. Consistently, due to some "head-thing", Tavarez has been noted rolling the ball to first base instead of the customary toss to first that most pitchers make in order to make a fielded play to first.

Now Big Papi is what he is by statue, height and weight. For all the great things Ortiz is as a baseball player, and for all the stats he can boast including often hitting in the game winning RBI, we have to take note of what he ISN'T - which is to say that he isn't the fastest, most agile, or most flexible guy on the field.

And this being the rubber game of a tied series with Atlanta Braves, and the obvious need to hold off the Yankees from making any further gains in the standings, we hope that Julian Tavarez maintains his solid pitching practices, but we ask him for Big Papi's sake:

PLEASE NOT TO ROLL THE BALL TO FIRST!

The last thing we need is to complicate things in the field for a guy that usually DH's, and sweats playing first base. As it is, I expect that the Braves will pull out all the stops including laying down a bunt to first in order to test Papi.

Go Sox. Let's win this series and build on the momentum!