Travis hopes every day might be the same
Couple of hours before game time, batting practice pretty much over, and a reporter asks Devon Travis if this might be a good time to talk.
“Um, no, sorry,” the rookie smiles apologetically. “I can’t leave the field until Reyes goes off. Later?”
Not a rule that’s written anywhere. But part of the Scrub Code, as young Travis has been making mental notations, compiling dos and don’ts in his Book of Job, as in big-league job, as in starting second baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays — and, geez, pinch him, because here he is under the lights. “Bright.” Even standing off by the dugout and suddenly surrounded by a horde of media leading with their microphones as if dowsing for water, the 24-year-old keeps a watchful eye on Jose Reyes, his touchstone. Travis is schooling. Just as he did in spring training, where he sat mostly quiet as mouse — happy mouse — in the clubhouse, locker tucked into a corner next to the lost-and-found rack, eyes occasionally dilating like when, say, Jose Bautista would strut past, offer a kindly “How you doing?” Agog, Travis.
“I’m a talkative guy when people talk to me. However, in a locker room full of veterans, yeah, you’re nervous, you got to know your place.”
That place, much to the surprise of many, is firmly at second. And now — here’s a lovely vignette — sandwiched between some of those Blue Jay luminaries that often rendered the native Floridian speechless down in Dunedin.
“I enjoy sitting in front of my locker and just seeing my name up there and having guys like Josh Donaldson and Jose Reyes next to me. For me, that’s enough.”
Well, hardly. But a gosh-almighty starting point for his maiden season in Major League Baseball, arriving from Detroit’s Double-A affiliate in exchange for Anthony Gose, then besting defensive stalwart Ryan Goins for the everyday gig at second.
But, come again, what were those rumblings about Travis’s purported defensive deficiencies? This is the same Travis who, in his first week as a regular-season Jay, has turned seven bang-bang double plays, starting one and middle swivel on the other halfdozen.
“I guess that’s what the talk was about me. Just one more reason why I wanted to prove them wrong.” He has. John Gibbons had an inkling right out of the chute. “The reports we had on him, the area he needed to improve, was his defence, because everybody said he could hit,” the skipper was saying. “But I think he’s been great defensively from day one of spring training. He’s got good solid range. He has great instinct out there too.”
He is getting a bit beat up, though, affixed to the bag as runners slide in, which has required a recent tactical adjustment.
“He likes to hang out on the bag,” the manager notes. “So he’s taken a pounding. Slow ground ball, when the runner has time, he’s down on top of him. That’s how you get hurt.”
Now, he’s stepping out of the baseline and coming across the bag to make the throw.
Gibbons continues: “As far as turning the double-play, I don’t think you’re going to find a guy that can turn it any quicker than he does — and I’m talking about some of the good ones over the years. He’s got a low centre of gravity that helps him around the bag. He’s got short arms — makes him that much quicker.”
Travis cracks up when those comments are repeated to him.
“I think that’s Gibby’s way of saying I’m short.’’ Admittedly runty. Stumpy. “I tell people I’m five-foot-eight.” Pause. “With my shoes on.”
Here’s another vignette from Monday night’s welcome-back Jays opener against the Tampa Bay Rays. Really more of a look forward, as envisioned by Travis, anticipating his first-at bat in front of a Toronto crowd.
“Hearing the walk-up song. (“Backflip” by rap artist Casey Veggies.) Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.”
The second time it was played last night, Travis stroked a single to right that scored Kevin Pillar, Toronto’s only run of the game in a 2-1 loss to Tampa Bay.
This is the rookie who, in his second at-bat, major-league debut, Yankee Stadium, touched up Chasen Shreve for a home run — with the extended Travis family clan in the stands — and reached base three times. Can’t make that stuff up.
A thoughtful hitter, who comes to the plate with a plan in mind and will hit the other way.
“He’s got great discipline,” says Gibbons. “He has the ability to use the whole field, which is kind of rare for young guys. But he carries himself out there like he’s done this before.”
In awe, Travis has been this past week. Over the moon as he landed in Toronto Sunday night, first time in the Big Smoke.
“An awesome-looking city, huge buildings all lit up, illuminated.’’
He was taking it all in, filling his lungs with the fact of his own bigleague baseball essence.
“Every single day I wake up and it’s like Christmas Day. This is something I’ve dreamed of my entire life. Being able to wake up and literally live my dream — that’s pretty special.”
Seven games into his big-league career now, Travis looks around the expanse of unlovely Rogers Centre and sees . . . a thing of beauty. “This is my new home. “I hope I never get used to it. I hope every day will feel like Opening Day.”