Guerrero stands by his vow to never play for Bombers
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. loves hitting at Yankee Stadium, but he still vows never to wear the pinstripes.
Before hitting a two-run home run in his first game in The Bronx since saying in the offseason that he would “never sign with the Yankees — not even dead,” Guerrero Jr. doubled down on his stance Friday night — and suggested that the feeling goes back to when his father was one of the most feared hitters in MLB (1996-2011).
“It’s a personal thing that goes back with my family,” Guerrero Jr. said through a translator when The Post asked him to explain his thinking. “So, that’s my decision. I would never change that.”
Guerrero Jr., a two-time AllStar, Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner through four seasons, isn’t a free agent until 2026.
That gives him plenty of time to reconsider because taking the high-bidding Yankees out of the sweepstakes — even if just to drive up the price for the competition — doesn’t seem like a profitable business strategy for any coveted free agent.
But Guerrero Jr., 24, talked about Yankee Stadium in a similar way to how NBA stars have treated Madison Square Garden for decades: A nice place to visit and put on a show, like he did by homering into the visitor’s bullpen during the Blue Jays’ 6-1 seriesopening victory.
“Vladdy hits anywhere,” manager John Schneider said. “Here in New York it seems to be magnified a little bit, but Vladdy will hit at the complex, he’ll hit here, he hits anywhere.”
Guerrero Jr., who is a .296 hitter with 11 home runs in 32 games at the ballpark, was hit in the elbow by a pitch in the ninth inning and his angry reaction — which bothered Anthony Rizzo — had everyone on edge for a benches-clearing skirmish that was avoided.
“Since you are a little kid, you dream of playing at Yankee Stadium,” Guerrero Jr. said. “Yankee Stadium is always a stadium you want to go to, you want to perform, you want to hit. That’s the mentality all the time when I come here.”
Unlike the Astros’ Jose Altuve or ex-Astros Carlos Correa of the Twins and George Springer of the Blue Jays — all of whom were at the center of the sign-stealing scandal that
cost the Yankees in the 2017 playoffs — Guerrero Jr. isn’t met with excessive hostility when he steps in the batter’s box against the Yankees.
He signed pregame autographs for young fans in Yankees jerseys.
How is he treated by the home fans?
“I would say normal. I guess the way they treat every player,” Guerrero Jr. said. “They are always going to support their team. If I do something good, they are not going to support me.”
Because of the new MLB schedule format, the Blue Jays only make two trips to Yankee Stadium (instead of the usual three) this season. He will look to continue a career’s worth of success against Gerrit Cole (.346 with two home runs in 26 at-bats) during Saturday’s game.
“He is just like myself,” Guerrero Jr. said. “When you have two players out there competing, somebody has to win the battle. Gerrit Cole, everybody knows, is one of the best pitchers. He’s going through great moments right now and against a pitcher like you have to bring your ‘A’ game.”
One big difference: Cole grew up as a Yankees fan and took $324 million from the Yankees in free agency.
Guerrero Jr. says he will continue playing elsewhere.