The Rise

Ortiz goes from rock bottom, from the death of his mother and his unceremonious release by the Minnesota Twins, to a chance encounter that changed the trajectory of his life. But there were still obstacles for him to overcome on the road to becoming “Big Papi” — including the New York Yankees. Losing in heartbreaking fashion to the Bronx Bombers had become an agonizing tradition for the Red Sox, an pain that Ortiz experienced firsthand in 2003. This episode takes a deep dive into the true meaning of “the Curse of the Bambino.”

David Ortiz: The Big Papi Story is the most comprehensive chronicle to date of the life of Red Sox icon and three-time World Series champion David Ortiz. In addition to Ortiz’s successful playing career, this special series will examine pivotal moments in his life off the field, from his difficult assimilation into American culture, to the sudden and tragic loss of his mother, to the raw emotion he shared with Hub fans following the tragic Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.



Subscribe to the series and listen to the full series, which consists of four singular episodes now on Apple Podcasts. The series is also available across multiple platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, iHeart, Stitcher, TuneIn and more.