NEW YORK -- For the last few years, he has been the most compelling figure in a Red Sox uniform, a big man with a penchant for the big moment.

Lately, he has been perhaps the only reason to keep watching the Red Sox.

First, there was his frightening case of heart palpitations and his dramatic return to the lineup two weeks ago at Fenway. Lately, there has been his pursuit of the club's single-season home run mark, set nearly 70 years ago.

And in between, Ortiz has found himself tangled up in a baseball soap opera after suggesting that he was more qualified for the American League MVP award than Derek Jeter.

Earlier in the week, the remarks were merely noteworthy. But the moment the Red Sox arrived in New York Friday, they became positively scandalous. Until this weekend, Ortiz was the Red Sox player even Yankee fans could like.

Ortiz, speaking partly out of frustration, stemming from being edged out for the award by Alex Rodriguez last fall, unwittingly violated the 11th commandment of baseball: Thou Shall Not Criticize the Yankee Shortstop.

Jeter is sacrosanct in New York. Better that you should suggest that Central Park is little more than a cow pasture. Or that the Statue of Liberty is an eyesore taking up space in the harbor.

The Yankee captain is an icon and Ortiz, in daring to suggest that Jeter's reputation might outstrip his actual accomplishment, crossed a line with Yankee fans. Statistically speaking, he was dead on. But that's a matter for another day.

Caught in the crosshairs this weekend, Ortiz has, on the field at least, shown himself to be unfazed, at least in the batter's box. As the boos, taunts and chants of "Der-ek Jee-ter" rain down on him, Ortiz has been undaunted.

"When he gets in that batter's box," said manager Terry Francona yesterday, "there's nothing else going on. If you ask him, I bet he doesn't hear or see anything except the ball."

The results back up Francona's contention. In Game One Saturday, he stroked two doubles before the Yankees got smart and walked him in his next three at-bats, including one intentionally.

After sitting out against Randy Johnson, it was more of the same in the first game yesterday. Ortiz was 1-for-3 with two more walks. One of the walks was intentional. The only hit was a homer, belted some 400 feet, for No. 49 of the season.

The sellout crowd was split between silence and derision. It's a safe bet that Ortiz hasn't enjoyed a home run trot that much in some time.

Ortiz let his bat do his talking this weekend, which created something of a sideshow in the visitor's clubhouse. There, a small army of New York tabloid reporters has been perched, seeking further explanation for his now week-old comments.

One normally level-headed New York columnist suggested Saturday that while Ortiz had attempted to put his remarks into context for Red Sox beat writers while the Sox were in Baltimore, he had erred in not taking the time to do the same for the Yankee press corps.

Then again, you know the old saying: if you don't say it here, it doesn't matter what you said. Or something like that.

Anyway, the cat-and-mouse game has been an entertaining subtext. The aggrieved sidebar reporters stand in the clubhouse, hands on hips, awaiting their personal apology-retraction, and Ortiz goes about his business, oblivious to it all.

Call it Papi being Manny.

At least Joe Torre had the good sense to put the whole thing into perspective.

"Let's hope," said the Yankee manager, "that we judge people on big samples about what they are all about. He's always been a stand-up guy."

And now, with two weeks to go in an otherwise disappointing Red Sox season, Ortiz remains appointment viewing, and will remain so until he hits No. 50, then No. 51.

The Red Sox season may be effectively over and his MVP hopes dashed, but David Ortiz is going down swinging. That alone makes the last two weeks worth watching.

smcadam@projo.com / (401) 277-7340