Mr. Ortiz Goes to Green Bay

AS ONE writer on baseballblogs.org asked of Red Sox first baseman David Ortiz last week, "WTF [Why the *&@!] Green Bay?" Fans arriving at the Nov. 29 Packers-Rams Monday-night game were similarly surprised upon walking through the Lambeau Field parking lot and seeing the legend of the fall flashing his toothy smile and signing autographs.

What was Ortiz, a native of the Dominican Republic, doing at the Frozen Tundra? Green Bay is actually his adopted hometown. While playing for the Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in 1996 he met a lady named Tiffany (above), and they later married. The couple (they have three kids) bought a house south of the city, and Tiffany has turned David into an unrepentant cheesehead. The Ortizes split his off-season between Green Bay and the D.R., and while they've gone to several Packers games, this time the slugger really got the star treatment. After the Ortizes tailgated like regular Joes, David roamed the field in a Brett Favre jersey, chatting with Packers coach and Red Sox fan Mike Sherman. David and Tiffany then watched from a private box, cheering as the Pack walloped the Rams 45-17. St. Louis fans were left to lament that, once again, they'd been beaten by Big Papi's team. --Melissa Segura

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ELSA/GETTY IMAGES (ORTIZ ACTION)

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JIM BIEVER (ORTIZ)