27 best MLB nicknames of all-time

21.”Big Papi” David Ortiz

Today, baseball fans know David Ortiz as “Big Papi,” but it has not always been that way.

Ortiz spent the first six years of his MLB career with the Minnesota Twins, where his teammates referred to him as “Big O.” When he signed with the Boston Red Sox in 2003, however, he had a new set of teammates and was having trouble remembering names.

This is where the nickname “Big Papi” originated.

"“I couldn’t remember everybody’s name. So I called everybody ‘Papi’ because that’s what people do in the Dominican. It’s just a friendly thing, a sign of respect,” Ortiz said. “After a while, they started calling me ‘Papi’ in return and then it became ‘Big Papi.’ It took off.”"

Ortiz was one of the driving forces behind Boston’s improbable run through the 2004 postseason. That year, the Red Sox fought back from a 3-0 series deficit to defeat the rival New York Yankees in the ALCS. They would sweep the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series to end an 86-year championship drought.

He has since won two more World Series title, including a World Series MVP in 2013.

Ortiz’s light-hearted nickname represents his laid back, friendly persona well. “Big Papi” has become synonymous with the Red Sox slugger, and it has become difficult to remember when he was know simply as David Ortiz.

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