Baseball fans in Montreal flocked to Olympic Stadium on Monday to watch Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in an exhibition contest for the Blue Jays, at the same venue where his father played so brilliantly for so many years for the Expos. On Tuesday, fans there got much, much more to cheer, as the 19-year-old third baseman hit a game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth.
The clout touched off a raucous celebration, both in the stands and on the field, where Guerrero’s fellow Jays spilled out of the dugout to greet him at home plate. Guerrero Sr. proudly shared video of the “priceless” moment on social media.
Attendance at Tuesday’s game was listed at 25,816 for the 1-0 win over the Cardinals, with many in the crowd wearing Expos shirts. The franchise, for which Guerrero Sr. played from 1996 to 2003 en route to a Hall of Fame career, was based in Montreal from its inception in 1969 until 2005, when it moved to Washington and became the Nationals.
On Monday, Guerrero Sr. had posted thanks to the Blue Jays for assigning his old number, 27, to his son. Guerrero Jr. was born in Montreal and was a familiar figure at Olympic Stadium as a toddler, and he said that the first thing he did when he returned to the venue Monday was look for his beloved ice cream vending machine, only to find it had been removed.
[ From 2016: Why do the Montreal Expos, nonexistent since 2004, have an active Twitter feed? ]
“Since I walked into the locker room today, it felt like home,” Guerrero said on Monday (via Sportsnet.ca). “It’s just great to be here.”
Tuesday’s dramatic home run, off St. Louis reliever Jack Flaherty, sent the Blue Jays off to the regular season on an exceptionally high note. Guerrero, however, is slated to start this year at the Class AA level — joining Bo Bichette, son of former Rockies slugger Dante Bichette — where the organization’s top prospect can get more seasoning.
Guerrero signed with the Blue Jays in 2015 as a coveted international free agent, and he has rewarded the team by batting .323, with a .910 OPS, in stints at three lower minor league levels. He is ranked as the sport’s No. 3 overall prospect by MLB.com, behind only the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani and the Braves’ Ronald Acuna.
“It gives me more energy and excitement, knowing my dad is a Hall of Famer, I want to be just like him, or even better than him,” Guerrero said. “I’m just trying to give my hundred percent and have fun every time I go out there, just like he did.”
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