Red Sox slugger David Ortiz is determined to prove to his critics that he can hit without Manny Ramirez in the same lineup. "People need to realize that having Manny behind me, I still led the league (in 2006 and 2007) in walks," Ortiz said. "So it wasn't like the pitchers were like, 'Here, (hit it).' Two years, I led the league in walks, with Manny behind me. Manny was injured a whole bunch of times and I still hit without him. So now, because I injured my hand and I came back and I had a tough year, they're going to point at it? That tells you a lot. I hit without Manny before, didn't I? They pitched me tough with Manny (in the lineup), didn't they? So why should I worry about what they say?" Ortiz also said on Monday that his hand is fully healed. "My hand is pain-free," he said. "It's a huge difference. (Last season), I was wondering if I could swing at pitches inside, outside, low fastball, high fastball and thinking about how I was going to feel afterward. I don't have to worry anymore."