Ortiz tough act to follow at Fenway
Encarnacion’s future backdrop to Jays’ tumble in AL playoff race
BOSTON— Edwin Encarnacion has been trying on Fenway Park for years, it seems, finger-creasing its quirky pleats and folds, admiring its cut in the mirror, like a flashy zoot suit tailored to his measurements.
Fourteen home runs swatted in 47 games at this bandbox ball yard, 53 hits, 33 runs, 41RBIs.
That forearm-perched parrot would likely get borne around the bases lots, should Double-E end up clad in red-and-white double-knit for the Sox, come 2017. Certainly out-bound David Ortiz, nearing the end of his long goodbye to baseball, has banged the drum loudly for a fellow Dominican, promoting Encarnacion as his DH heir apparent. And banged the ball just as hard Friday night, 38th home run of this sayonara season for Big Papi, putting the long ball oomph into a 5-3 win for the home side.
A bit wistful, then, that what may be Encarnacion’s final games as a Blue Jay — after six-plus years — should unfold on Yawkey Way and a regular season concluding series which will, in conjunction with results in several other ballparks over the weekend, determine whether there is an immediate playoff future for Toronto. A pall cast over those best-laid plans on this evening, though, with yet another defeat for the Jays snatched from the jaws of victory by an erratic bullpen, while the Orioles were pounding on the Yankees, climbing a game ahead of the Jays for the first wild card spot.
For the moment – that being earlier Friday afternoon -- pending free agent Encarnacion arrived at Fenway as still a visitor alien, bundled up against the raw weather in a black puff jacket, on his feet a pair of fashionista-rad high tops studded with little gold accents.
“You feel sad because I want to be here,” the sweet-natured 33-year-old said. And by here, Encarnacion meant not the physical here-and-now of Boston but Toronto, 700 kilometers away. “But it’s not my decision.”
A decision that was put on the backburner when no contract extension could be agreed upon before spring training.
with EE declaring he would not pursue negotiations in-season and the Jays front office apparently entirely content with that. There clearly was no urgency to re-signing the slugging juggernaut, not far as this new penny-pinch regime was concerned, and that posture doesn’t appear to have changed.
It seems entirely likely they’ll let Encarnacion walk — Jose Bautista too — and rebuild a franchise in their own image, around Josh Donaldson. Except Donaldson won’t enjoy the benefits of having Encarnacion bat right behind him. While Bautisnacion – bookends for Toronto’s offense -- seems destined to go the way of Brangelina.
“He’s a unique individual,” Bautista was saying of his dear friend and teammate yesterday. “Someone people gravitate to. Very laid back, very even keel. He plays with a lot of passion but he keeps it under his skin and under control in a very strange way. It comes out now and then.”
Bautista chuckles. “He gets animated every five or six games.”
He gets HR jacked on average every 3.85 days, tied for second in the majors with 42, matching a career best; tied for second in RBIs with 127, a career high. Just about the only Jay who hasn’t gone into an offensive funk in September (6 homers, .270 BA, .500 slugging percentage).
“He’s definitely a special hitter,” observes Troy Tulowitzki, who admits not being that familiar with Encarnacion’s gifts before arriving in Toronto last summer. “Coming over here, I knew a few guys. But he’s the one that surprised me the most because I hadn’t paid as much attention to him as some of the other guys.
“To see him day in, day out, that’s what’s so impressive. He’s such a smart hitter. One of the best powerhitters in the game.”
Yet they – the brain-trust – seem fine with apparently letting him slip through their fingers, jaw-dropping aghast at some of the numbers that have been tossed around by contract assessors: $80 million for four years, similar to Victor Martinez, is what Encarnacion might command. Might have commanded somewhat less seven months ago.
But it’s a handy opt-out excuse for Rogers.
So there was Encarnacion after the last home game Thursday night – of the regular season anyway and who the hell knows what happens next – sitting in the dugout, that thousand mile stare in his eyes.
“I was just thinking … we need to bring the game back here. I want to bring the playoffs backs.’’ He wants to come home. He wants to bring the post-season home.
“Because now is the best moment, for this team.’’
And yeah, he was feeling it in his heart.
“Sometimes you get emotional. You don’t know what’s going to happen after this year.’’
Only in the final home series at Rogers Centre — against Baltimore, earlier this week — did the probability of end-of-Jays-days, for him, truly begin to take hold. “I got thinking because it’s the position where we are. Everybody knows where we are and we need to win. We have to start winning. Today. The last three days of the season.”
His own career in Toronto also flashed through Encarnacion’s mind, as he looked out upon the ball field where Toronto had just laid a weirdly flat 4-0 egg. What a sorry swansong that would be, should the Jays not return in wild card form.
“It’s a lot of ups and downs, the past six years in my career here with Toronto. Is more good thing than bad thing happen. I feel good, the way I been for this organization. I feel very proud.’’ He stumbles. “A lot of friends . . .”
Encarnacion blinks hard, coffeebean eyes narrowing.
“I want something… bigger.”