It was David Ortiz’s radiant smile and outsize personality as much as his prowess at the plate that made the burly designated hitter one of the most popular players to come out of the Dominican Republic or to wear the uniform of the Boston Red Sox.
And as Ortiz, wounded by an assailant’s bullet in Santo Domingo on Sunday night, flew from his native country to the city where his legend was built – and where his treatment will continue – fans and well-wishers in both places hoped for the best for the 43-year-old ex-slugger known as Big Papi.