Big Papi

the long version

Ortiz is a hero to many. Raised in the Dominican Republic, signed by the Seattle Mariners, and released by the Minnesota Twins, David Ortiz landed in baseball-crazy Boston. Generally regarded as an underachiever up to that point in his career, Ortiz blossomed into one of the most feared and adored sluggers in baseball while altering the course of the game's history by helping Boston win its first World Series in eighty-six years, breaking the infamous "Curse of the Bambino." Along the way, Ortiz established his place as a truly Ruthian figure in the annals of our national pastime: an imposing figure in the batter's box, yet an endearing man to the young, particularly in his native Dominican Republic, where he has focused his charitable efforts on improving the health of children.--From publisher description.