Released by Minnesota to save a few million dollars, David Ortiz became a first-ballot Hall of Famer and the ultimate symbol of clutch performance for a rival. This deep dive traces Big Papi's arc from a misunderstood minor leaguer registered under the wrong name to the emotional core of Boston.

His swing never radically changed, but a new organizational philosophy unlocked a legend the sport nearly lost.

• Signed by Seattle as a teenager and mistakenly registered as David Arias, then clashed with Twins manager Tom Kelly over his natural uppercut swing.
• Was released after the 2002 season, then reconnected with childhood friend Pedro Martinez, who lobbied the Red Sox to sign him.
• Sparked Boston's historic comeback from a 3-0 deficit against the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS, helping end an 86-year title drought.
• D ...