Full Name : David Americo Ortiz Arias
Born : November 18, 1975
Hometown : Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Height : 6' 4
Weight : 230 lbs
Bats : Left
Throws : Left
Major League Baseball debut : September 2, 1997 for the Minnesota Twins
Family : wife,Tiffany; daughters, Jessica, Alexandra; son, D'Angelo
Primary Position : Designated Hitter
A handful of Major League Baseball's hottest superstars come from the Dominican Republic, and David Ortiz is no exception. Born on November 18, 1975, in the Dominican Republic's capital Santa Domingo, "Big Papi" grew up watching his father play baseball in the Dominican leagues. After putting up some tremendous statistics throughout high school, the Seattle Mariners took first action and signed Ortiz to a deal in 1992. He spent one summer in the Mariners' Dominican summer league before coming up to the organization's farm system.
After spending a few years in the minor leagues with Seattle, Ortiz was traded to the Minnesota Twins after the 1996 season. It was here that he would establish himself as one of the game's most clutch hitters and earn the nickname "Big Papi." Though he did spend much time on the Twins' active roster in the 2000 season, he was sent down and called up from the farm system several times throughout his young career at Minnesota. He had trouble finding a groove, and even suffered from wrist and leg injures that kept him shelved for a large portion of the 2001 season. 2002 was by far his breakthrough year, as he knocked out 20 homers and drove in 75 RBI while batting a solid .272.
Sadly for the Twins, the numbers that Ortiz put up in 2002 placed a hefty price tag on his value. Though the organization looked to deal him during the 2002 season, they couldn't reach an agreement with any other ball clubs. After that year, Dominican-native Pedro Martinez pushed for the Red Sox to look into acquiring Ortiz, and he was eventually given a 1-year deal. Though he did not find immediate success, he beat out several other players to become the team's everyday designated hitter. His performance in 2003 earned him a 2-year extension with the Red Sox, and pitchers would soon grow fearful when "Big Papi" came up to the plate.
In 2004, Ortiz helped lead the Red Sox to their first World Series victory since 1918, putting a drastic end to the “Curse of the Bambino” that was inherited by the organization. Not only did Ortiz win the American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player award, but he also helped the team come back from a 3-0 series deficit against the arch-nemesis New York Yankees, making the Red Sox the only team to do so in Major League Baseball history. He has been selected for the American League all-star team three times, and is a three-time Silver Slugger Award Winner (for designated hitters). He also holds a team record for most home runs hit in single season when he blasted 54 with the Red Sox in 2006. He is currently signed with the Red Sox through the 2010 season. There is no doubt that Ortiz's contributions have significantly impacted the Red Sox ball club, considering Boston is now referred to as "Papi Nation."
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