When Boston chose its new mayor on Tuesday, some Bostonians had an entirely different candidate in mind - one who wasn't even on the ballot.

The eventual victor, state Sen. Martin J. Walsh, prevailed over City Councilor John R. Connolly, but hundreds of Beantown voters apparently wanted the Red Sox's longest-tenured player and designated hitter David Ortiz to step up to the plate at City Hall.

Ortiz came in third in Tuesday's mayoral race, receiving 560 write-in votes. This was well behind the winner or even the runner-up - Walsh with 72,514 votes and Connolly with 67,606 votes - but was a surprisingly robust showing for someone whose name wasn't even on the ballot.

"Big Papi," as he is known to his fans, has played for the Red Sox for ten years and helped the team win its World Series championship last month.

He was the pride of the city in April when, at the first home game in Boston following the marathon bombing, Ortiz said, "This is our f--g city," to rousing applause.

Ortiz joins members of the Boston police department on the cover of Sports Illustrated this week.