Big Papi mentioned during confirmation hearing for U.S. attorney general

David Ortiz's impact goes well beyond what he does on the diamond.

During attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions' Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse asked Sessions about a 2006 statement in which he made disparaging remarks about Dominican Republic immigrants living in the United States.

"I'm from Rhode Island, and as you know Senator ... We have a vibrant Dominican community, who look at 'Big Papi' David Ortiz swinging his bat for the Red Sox and wonder why you said 'almost no one coming from the Dominican Republic to the United States is coming here because they have a provable skill that would benefit us,'" Whitehouse said.

Sessions attempted to clear up his comments in response, saying they weren't taken in the proper context.

"Immigration flow from almost all of our countries, frankly, are based on family connection and other visas rather than a skilled-based program more like Canada has," Sessions said. "That's all I intended to be saying there. Tell anyone who heard that statement, please don't see that as a diminishment or criticism of the people of the Dominican Republic, it was designed to just discuss the reality of our immigration system."

Ortiz did not comment on Sessions' initial remarks, but he has been outspoken about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

"When you speak like that about us (Latinos), it's a slap in the face," Ortiz said in September about Trump's proposal to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico. "I walk around sometimes, and I see Mexican people trying to earn a living in an honest way. And to hear somebody make those kinds of comments, it hits you. I think as Latin people we deserve better. Things have gotten much better in that regard. … As Latin people we deserve respect, no matter where you're from. And especially our Mexican brothers, who come here willing to do all the dirty work.

"Latin people here in the United States are the spark plug of the country's economy. Whoever opposes that is going to lose."