Toronto Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. hits a walk off HR in Montreal
Toronto Blue Jays prospect Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. returns to Montreal, wearing his father’s number 27, and belts a walk-off HR off Jack Flaherty of the Cardinals
Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., the Toronto Blue Jays No. 1 prospect, was born March 16, 1999, in Montreal. That same year, his Hall of Fame father slashed .316/.378/.600 with 42 bombs. It was in Montreal, where Vlad, Sr., made his case as one of the most talented hitters of his generation.
So when Vladito became eligible to sign a professional contract at 16, teams lined up for his services. Ultimately, Guerrero chose the Jays and has blossomed into one of the top prospects in baseball.
Lots have changed since Vlad; Sr. left Montreal in 2003. Plagued by poor attendance and worse ownership, the Expos relocated to Washington after the 2004 season. The Toronto Blue Jays have played their final exhibition games in Montreal at the Olympic Stadium for five years in a row.
The 2018 series featured the St. Louis Cardinals. The Jays brought a number of their top prospects north, including Vlad, Jr. and Bo Bichette. Vlad was four years old the last time he set foot in Olympic Stadium.
The feel-good story started when Richard Griffin of The Star reported that the first thing Vlad, Jr. did upon returning to Olympic Stadium was looking for the old ice cream machine. Like much of the ghosts of Montreal baseball, the machine was gone.
The @BlueJays will host the @Cardinals today and tomorrow at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, as their young slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. returns to his father’s old stomping grounds and the city where he was born. pic.twitter.com/gTMmzL5ypw
— MLBPAA (@MLBPAA) March 26, 2018
But while the Baseball Gods may have been cruel to Montreal in the past, they always seem to find a feel-good story and take it to the next level. It started when Vlad, unbeknownst to him, was issued his dad’s number 27. Vlad wore 27 with Dunedin in 2017 but has been wearing number 6 at minor league camp.
Vlad went 0-2 in the first game of the series. As he stepped to the plate, Jays broadcaster Buck Martinez quipped, “How about a 9th inning walk-off home run.” Two pitches later, Guerrero scorched a hanging slider from fellow Top 100 prospect, Jack Flaherty, deep over the left-center field wall.
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Baseball. Just when we think we think we have seen it all, the gods shock us again.