BOSTON (AP) -- David Ortiz is tired of answering questions about Manny
Ramirez.

"Always I have people asking me questions about Manny, like I'm Manny
part 2," said Ortiz, half of Boston's dynamic slugging duo. "He wears
me out because I know everything's going to end with, `David, what do
you think about what Manny's thinking?"'

Ortiz's answer Friday?

"I don't know," with an expletive added.

Ortiz has been Ramirez's teammate with the Red Sox for five years and
they have neighboring lockers. So he figures he has a better insight
into Ramirez's thoughts than reporters whom he said misinterpreted
Ramirez's remarks on Wednesday about winning the AL championship
series against Cleveland.

"It doesn't happen, so who cares?" Ramirez said then. "There's always
next year. It's not like it's the end of the world."

That started fans and commentators buzzing about the slugger's desire
to win.

"You guys need to be smart about it," Ortiz told reporters at Fenway
Park. "I understand what he tried to say, but too bad that we have a
lot of media people that they just like to flip things around.

"He said, from my understanding, was that (if) we lose, it's not going
to be the end of the world. We've got another season coming in, but
we're trying to win."

The Indians lead 3-2 in the best-of-seven ALCS and would advance to
the World Series with a win in Game 6 on Saturday night when Boston
right-hander Curt Schilling faces Fausto Carmona.

It's not shocking that Ramirez has been Boston's best hitter in the
series with a .471 batting average, two homers and eight RBIs.

It was surprising when he abandoned his season-long practice of
avoiding reporters and became media friendly, talking on Wednesday's
off day and again after Boston's 7-1 win in Cleveland on Thursday.

"You guys should appreciate that the guy is talking, at least in the
playoffs," Ortiz told reporters.

Ramirez wasn't in the clubhouse while it was open to the media Friday,
when the Red Sox held an optional workout.

Fans might question Ramirez's intensity if they had seen him jog to
first base on a single high off the center-field wall Thursday that he
thought would be a two-run homer. Ortiz, no speedster, easily made it
home from first to break a 1-1 tie.

Mike Lowell doesn't doubt Ramirez's desire.

"If you don't care if you win or lose then you go about your business
without intensity," Boston's third baseman said. "Look at his at-bats.
He's the most feared guy in the whole world right now, the way he's
swinging.

"If he was just swinging wildly and putting his helmet down and
smiling after he struck out every time, then it would come across that
way. But his performance doesn't suggest that."

Lowell, one of the most receptive and articulate interview subjects on
the Red Sox, said Ramirez talks a lot with his teammates. They know
him a lot better than outsiders

So Lowell gave his interpretation of the comments by Ramirez.

"I think he wants to say that there's a lot of very serious things
going on in the world that might have a place a little bit higher than
a baseball game and if things don't pan out our way, our families
aren't going to be hurt," Lowell said.

"We're playing for our lives, in the sense of this season," he said,
"but, come on, man. There's people that have kids in Iraq. You think
they care whether the Red Sox or the Indians win? I think that's what
he's trying to say."

Ramirez got a kick out of the controversy his comments created.

Ortiz said he was watching ESPN with Ramirez before Thursday's game
and they laughed when they saw the reaction to what Ramirez had said.

"They had three football players that had no clue about baseball
trying to say what Manny was saying," Ortiz said. "Then John Kruk,
that played baseball his whole life, he understands what Manny said."

The question now is: Will Manny be saying much more?

"Hopefully," Ortiz said, "unless somebody screws up once again."

Source: HOWARD ULMAN, AP Sports Writer / Yahoo! Sports