David Ortiz could blame the Arias confusion on different naming practices. But when it comes to the nickname Big Papi, he has only himself to thank. 

In a 2017 interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Ortiz explained that he’d begun using the name as a result of his forgetfulness. “I meet so many people every day, it’s hard for me to keep up with their names. So … I just call you Papi,” he joked. That ended up backfiring, though. “They’d start ‘Papi-ing’ me back,” he chuckled, adding that it was his just deserts. 

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As for the “Big” portion of the name, Ortiz fans have the late New England Sports Network broadcaster Jerry Remy to thank for that. As seen in a clip shared on Twitter, Remy revealed, “I went up to him one day and said … ‘You’re a big guy. Do you mind if I call you Big Papi?’ He said, ‘No, no I like that.’ So I started calling him Big Papi, and then all of a sudden, everybody started calling him Big Papi.” Between his forgetfulness and his stature (he’s 6’3), it’s no wonder this nickname particular nickname has stood the test of time.