David Ortiz: Dan Shaughnessy's steroid accusations are discriminatory

David Ortiz said a recent column questioning whether he has been using steroids is discriminatory. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz said on Thursday that he thought a recent Boston Globe column had racially tinged elements in its questioning of whether he has been helped by steroids in his prolific start to the 2013 season.

In a column published on Wednesday, longtime Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy essentially accused Ortiz of being aided by some kind of performance enhancer in his strong start, writing that it "just doesn't look possible." In 17 games this season, Ortiz is batting .363 with four homers, 17 RBI and a 1.045 OPS.

Ortiz shot back in an interview with an ESPN Deportes Radio affiliate in the Dominican Republic, saying that Shaughnessy's criticism crossed a line.

"Yesterday, the guy came to see me and asked some questions about steroids, and when you see the writing, it basically focuses on the fact that I'm Dominican and that many Dominicans have been caught using steroids. And what about the Americans?" Ortiz said, according to ESPN.

"If you're from the Middle East, because there are some people there who put bombs and terrorize civilians, I have to see you like that, as well? If you are a white American, I have to call you a racist because white Americans were in the Ku Klux Klan?

"The thing that stung me was his statement about Dominicans. You mean that in Dominican Republic there are no players who try to do things right? We are all in the same boat. And the people here who have been caught, does that put everyone here in the same boat?"