The American pastime has come to Fall River in a big way.

Before Friday's ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Nokona Bat

Factory in the Fall River Industrial Park, a black stretch limousine drove slowly by.

Fifteen minutes later, the emcee, company CEO Buddy Lewis, announced to the gathering of hundreds that there was a very special guest who would have a few words to say.



Just then a very recognizable figure appeared from the front doors of the factory.

"Big Papi."

As Red Sox' All-Star slugger David Ortiz emerged from the building and took to the podium he was greeted with an overwhelming round of applause and a sea of snapping cameras that belonged to as many parents as kids. Ortiz was dressed casually in jeans with a black tee-shirt and jacket, and sporting diamond-studded sunglasses. He had two noticeable features on his valuable hands — a bandage on his left and a mammoth championship ring on his right.

Mr. Ortiz only spoke for a few minutes, but he echoed the ......