Gurriel blast cause for celebration
After the traditional silent treatment, that is … the kid’s learning fast
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Lourdes Gurriel Jr. walked through the Blue Jays clubhouse after Saturday’s game, inspecting the ball closely and tossing it in the air before proudly placing it in the middle of the shelf above his locker for all to see.
It had been retrieved from the Rogers Centre’s left-field seats after the seventh inning of Toronto’s 7-4 loss to the Texas Rangers, launched there by Gurriel for the 24-year-old’s first big-league home run.
The no-doubter left his bat at 106.7 miles per hour and was projected to travel 417 feet, according to Statcast.
Standing at home plate after the blast was designated hitter Kendrys Morales, a fellow Cuban and Gurriel’s mentor, who offered a high-five. Per baseball tradition, he got the silent treatment initially from the rest of his teammates in the dugout before they gave him his due, in a game where there was little else for the Jays to cheer.
“I’ve seen (the hazing ritual) before, I’ve seen it with other guys, but they made me feel really happy when they all came to cheer me after,” Gurriel said, through translator Josue Peley.
The second baseman’s homer was his lone hit in four trips, and he’s now 4-for-18 since be- ing called up to the big leagues during last week’s series against the New York Yankees, with three RBIs, one stolen base and two strikeouts.
Gurriel likened the feeling of going deep for the first time to making his debut last week.
“It’s something I’ll never forget in my life, of course,” he said.
While manager John Gibbons said he always expected Gurriel — signed for $22 million U.S. over seven years in November 2016 — to hit at the majorleague level, he added that he’s equally impressed with his defence, at second and shortstop.
“He can play, too,” Gibbons said. “You’ve got to sit and watch him at second base. There’s a lot there, you know.”
With speed also in his arsenal, Gurriel seems to be a perfect fit for what the Blue Jays’ front office wants the club to become: younger and more athletic.
“I think he just gets better and better,” the manager said.
Hitting his first homer off 44year-old Bartolo Colon — the Dominican-born Rangers right-hander who allowed three runs off six hits through seven innings for the win — made it that much more memorable, Gurriel added.
“I feel very happy … Bartolo’s a legend,” he said.
Someone else who will be happy: the Blue Jay’s older brother, Yuli Gurriel of the Houston Astros, who were taking on the A’s when the rookie hit the homer. The Astros first baseman has been a vocal supporter of his younger sibling on social media, including posting video of the Astros watching one of his at-bats against the Yankees on TV.
“Not only my brother, but I think my whole family’s going to feel pretty happy for me,” said the Blue Jay.