You might know David Ortiz as "Big Papi." Here's why. (2024)

When you say Big Papi, everyone knows exactly who you're talking about. Evenfellow New England sports great Tom Bradydoesn't have that kind of singular recognition.

There are a few theoriesas to how he got such an enduring moniker, but Ortiz himself told Stephen Colbert that it was because, well, he's not very good at remembering names.

"I meet so many people every day, it's hard for me to keep up with their names,"he told "The Late Show" host in 2017. "So, I just 'Papi' people."

In other words, Ortiz just calls everyone "Papi," in keeping with a Dominican custom, he said.

People just started calling him "Papi" back, Ortiz said, and it stuck.

Former Red Sox star David Ortiz does not know the suspect who is in police custody and does not know why the suspect shot him, Ortiz's assistant Leo Lopez told CNN.

Lopez said he is confident"it was not a robbery."Lopez wouldn'tspeculateon a motive.

What we know about the suspect: Police identifiedEddy Vladimir Féliz García as one of the suspect's involved in Ortiz's shooting on Sunday.Féliz García has a 2017 drug charge and lives in Las Caobas, West Santo Domingo, according to a National Police news statement.

David Ortiz was "bleeding from his liver" and had portions of his organs removed after the shooting, according toOrtiz's assistant Leo Lopez.

Duringsurgery last night, doctors told his family and assistant that they removed "portions of his intestines, colon and his gallbladder [was] taken out" to stop the bleeding, Lopez told CNN.

Lopez is at theDominican Republichospital with Ortiz's father and sisters, while the former ballplayerremainsinintensivecare, he said.

The family is waiting to speak to medical staff and hopes to move Ortiz to a hospital in the US as soon as doctors allow.Lopez said Ortiz's wife is in the US at this time.

Former US president Barack Obama just tweeted on how former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz's "spirit and resolve helped us all begin to heal from the Boston Marathon bombing."

Read Obama's tweet:

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady just wished David Ortiz a speedy recovery on Twitter, tweeting "get well soon my friend."

Police have one person in custody for the shooting of MLB star David Ortiz, according to a Dominican Republic National Police press release.

The release, which is in Spanish, identified the suspect asEddy Vladimir Féliz García. He was detained by a crowd, who beat him up and handed him over to the authorities, and was then transported to Doctor Dario Contreras hospital for his injuries. He is now in police custody.

What happened: Two men on a motorcycle approached Ortiz and fired a single shot around 10:30 p.m., the release said. Ortiz and a friend, host Jhoel Lopez, were injured. The suspects attempted to drive awaybut "fell to the pavement," the release said. The second suspect fled on foot and is still at large.

Police have the suspect's "Bajaj Platina" motorcycle and are investigating this and other evidence.

Jhoel Lopez, a talk show host and a friend of David Ortiz, posted pictures and videos with Ortiz on social media hours before the shooting, Lopez’s wife confirmed to CNN.

Lopez was also shot last night.

He captioned the picture “Tu sabes que somos de calle🎤🎥🎶Con el mío @davidortiz yaaaaaa,” which translates to "You know that we are from the streets.... with my David Ortiz, yaaa.”

Here's a look:

David Ortiz's former Red Sox teammate Pedro Martinez tweeted Sunday "I'm at peace knowing you out of danger" and "see you soon."

David Ortiz's agent, Fernando Cuza, confirmed the surveillance footage captured the moment Ortiz was shot last night.

"I've seen it, it's him," he said.

Ortiz is "the one who falls, he's slumped over and then falls" once he is shot in the back, Cuza said.

You can watch the footage in the video below: