Just like daddy used to do it
Guerrero crushes walk-off home run to cap exhibition series in Montreal
MONTREAL — Everybody talks about Vlad Guerrero Jr.’s skill and talent. But what about his sense of the dramatic?
The son of former Expos great Vlad Guerrero, who was born in Montreal and spent much of his childhood hanging around Olympic Stadium, hammered an offering from St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty with two out in the bottom of the ninth and deposited it into the stands in left centre to lift the Blue Jays to a 1-0 victory over the Cards in Toronto’s final game of the pre-season.
Afterward, with 25,816 fans at Olympic Stadium on their feet and screaming, Guerrero Jr. came out of the dugout and tipped his cap to his “hometown” fans.
“I felt like the whole world was rooting for me,” he said. “These two days have been amazing for me, it’s like a dream come true. Having that at-bat and helping the team is something that I’m always going to remember.”
Fans want hernandez
Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins says he “can’t say enough” about outfielder Teoscar Hernandez.
“He’s been unbelievable,” Atkins said before Tuesday night’s game.
Unbelievable as Hernandez may be, the one thing Atkins won’t say about him is he’ll be named to the 25-man roster as the Jays start the regular season Thursday against the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre.
Despite his eye-opening play last September and red-hot spring training, the 25-year-old will likely start the year at triple-A Buffalo. And that has Jays supporters up in the arms. There’s a growing sentiment the Jays should find a way to keep Hernandez with the big team.
The four outfielders that will begin the season with the Jays are basically set — Kevin Pillar in centre, Randal Grichuk in right and Curtis Granderson and Steve Pearce platooning in left. Of all the positions on the field, the Jays seem to have the most organizational depth — at least at the high minor-league level — in the outfield, starting with Hernandez.
“Oh yeah, I think he’s earned the right to make the team,” Jays manager John Gibbons said. “He arguably had the best spring (of anybody). And he was good last September. But I don’t anticipate him (being down for long). I would expect he is going to do something to help us.”
Hernandez, whom the Jays acquired last July from Houston for Francisco Liriano, was called up in September and in 88 at-bats had
eight home runs, six doubles and 20 RBIs. This spring, he hit .365 with a 1.104 OPS in 52 at-bats and four homers with three stolen bases.
Pearce is also having a good spring (hitting .310 with a homer in 29 at-bats), but given his limited range, he may not be better than Hernandez. But Hernandez has minorleague options. Still, many fans would love to see Atkins orchestrate a trade to give the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Hernandez and Anthony Alford, when he’s healthy, a chance to play every day at the major-league level.
That’s not going to happen anytime soon. Gibbons thinks the platoon of Granderson and Pearce in left could be dynamite this season. Pearce certainly proved last year that when he’s healthy, his bat is a plus.
“And I’ll tell you what, if Pearcie gets to the ball, he’s going to catch it,” said Gibbons.
Unfortunately for Pearce, every time he boots a ball, calls for Hernandez to be promoted will intensify.
“It’s tough,” said Gibbons.
Hernandez said he has heard the fan support and is grateful.
“I can control just what I can control and I just play my game and try to do the best that I can and let’s see what will happen at the end,” he said. “But it feels really good when everybody is saying good things about you and to those fans that are cheering for me, I appreciate that.”
Round the diamond
Former Buffalo Bisons announcer Ben Wagner has been officially named the new voice of the Jays on the Sportsnet Radio. Dan Shulman will also work a “collection” of games, while Mike Wilner will continue to host Blue Jays Talk. The announcement has to be a major
disappointment for Wilner, who has been hoping to do more play-by-play work. Sportsnet treated Wilner rather shabbily during the auditioning process. He essentially had to sit back and be a team guy while the company auditioned the likes of Wagner, Scott Richmond and Rob Fai during spring training. Former Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia is dropping hints he’ll be returning to Toronto soon, likely as a broadcaster ... Gibbons’ daughter Jordan and her band The Barrens will be playing Thursday night at the Final Four in San Antonio during a media event. Jordan recently relocated to Austin, the music capital of Texas, and reformed her old band Southtown into the new group ... Gibbons is pleased with the way Simcoe, Ont., native John Axford performed in spring training and the fact he earned a spot in the Jays’ bullpen. Gibbons has been saying all spring it would be great to have another Canadian in the lineup.