FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) – David Ortiz returned to the Boston Red Sox on Monday the same way he left them – with his powerful bat and pleasant smile.

Big Papi hugged teammate Alan Embree – “he engulfed me” – embraced new shortstop Edgar Renteria then slugged balls over the right-field fence in his first day at spring training.

Success certainly hasn’t changed the lovable 6-foot-4, 230-pound designated hitter.

“That’s my personality,” Ortiz said. “I can’t change. If I change my father (will) hit me in the head with a bottle of water.”

He had his best season last year and was the star of Boston’s wins in the AL division series over Anaheim and the AL championship series over the New York Yankees.

His two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning won the clinching game over the Angels, 8-6.

Against the Yankees, his two-run homer in the bottom of the 12th won Game 4; his RBI single in the bottom of the 14th won Game 5; and his two-run homer in the top of the first started the Red Sox toward a 10-3 win in Game 7.

He also hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the first of the opening game of the World Series against St. Louis.

In the regular season he hit .301 with 41 homers and 139 RBIs, but “in the playoffs, definitely, you’ve got to take the game to another level because you don’t get that many opportunities,” Ortiz said.

He had plenty of help from his teammates, most notably Curt Schilling, who pitched Game 6 of the ALCS and Game 2 of the World Series with blood seeping through stitches in his right ankle and onto his white sock.

“One of the most exciting moments was when I saw Curt Schilling bleeding to death pitching out there,” Ortiz said. “I just look at his face and I was like, Well, since I was growing up Captain America was my hero, but now you are.’ “

He was sad to see another star pitcher, Pedro Martinez, leave for the New York Mets.

“Pedro was like a father, a friend, a brother to me, everything,” Ortiz said. “When I first came to the Red Sox I was expecting to play with Petey for a long time but you know how this business goes.”

Ortiz is signed through 2006 and fits very well into the Red Sox lineup and clubhouse.

“He’s maybe the quickest person to smile I’ve ever been around in my whole life, not that that helps in the batter’s box,” manager Terry Francona said, but “you need that kind of demeanor for the long haul.”

After six years with Minnesota, Ortiz signed as a free agent with Boston for the 2003 season and hit .288 with 31 homers and 101 RBIs. He improved last season and was slimmer on Monday than he appeared to be most of last season.

“The older you get, the more careful you’ve got to be” about staying in shape, the 29-year-old Ortiz said with that huge smile. “Here we are. Everybody thinks I can be in GQ. What do you think?”