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David Ortiz didn't accomplish his historic milestone at Fenway Park, but he knows he couldn't have done it without Boston Red Sox fans' help.

The Red Sox return to Boston on Monday night to play the Tampa Bay Rays after a nine-game homestand, marking Ortiz's first game at Fenway since he hit his 500th career home run against the same Rays on Sept. 12 at Tropicana Field.

The team will celebrate Big Papi's accomplishment with a pregame ceremony before Monday's game, but Ortiz took it upon himself to thank Red Sox Nation earlier in the afternoon.

Ortiz has hit 443 of his 501 career homers with the Red Sox over the past 13 years -- not to mention several more clutch long balls in the postseason -- so it's safe to say Boston holds a special place in the slugger's heart.