Vlad Guerrero's son has 'dream come true' moment in his dad's old stadium
If Vladimir Guerrero Jr. enjoys anything close to the kind of career his father had, Toronto Blue Jays fans are going to be very happy.
The younger Guerrero is the third-ranked prospect in all of baseball going into 2018, according to Baseball America. Though the third baseman is just 19, he’s been impressive thus far, hitting .323 with 13 home runs and 76 RBIs in the minors last year.
And on Wednesday night, Guerrero had his first big moment in front of Blue Jays fans, smacking a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Toronto a 1-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
What made it even better was that the home run came in Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, where Guerrero’s dad played for much of his Hall of Fame career. He was even wearing his father’s old number, 27, while he did it.
It might have only been an exhibition game, but it sure didn’t feel that way when the crowd of 25,816 went crazy as Guerrero Jr.’s blast landed several rows deep in the left-field seats.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., wearing his dad's old number, just hit a walk-off home run to end the Blue Jays' spring training … in Montreal. pic.twitter.com/ADNzYqSmeK
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 28, 2018
Guerrero Jr. even got a curtain call, which, in a spring training game, is a rarity.
Later, he spoke about how much the experience of playing in Montreal, where he was born and where his father became famous, meant to him.
“These two days have been amazing for me, like a dream come true,” he said through an interpreter after the game, according to Sportsnet. “Of course, having that at-bat and having that chance to help the team win is something I’m always going to remember.”
Veteran Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin agreed.
“I’m surprised the roof is still on the stadium, to be honest. That was incredible,” he said.
“Just a special moment for the kid, for us at the same time. What a great way to finish spring training and head into the season.”
Guerrero will now head back the minors — he is set to start the season with the Blue Jays’ Double-A affiliate — and it’s not yet clear whether he will make it to the majors this year. Still, he emphasized that he’s glad for the learning experience he’s gotten at the big league camp.
“When you play with other players that have more experience than you, it motivates you and you learn more about yourself. For me, I’m just trying to give my best every time I go out there and I see those guys that are veterans giving their 100 percent, that’s what I try do every time,” he said.
Perhaps no one was more happy to see the young prospect succeed than his father, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., who was in the Blue Jays dugout when his son won the game.
#priceless pic.twitter.com/dh3RUpcTjg
— Vladimir Guerrero (@VladGuerrero27) March 28, 2018
The younger Guerrero appears to be following in his father’s footsteps, though, as pointed out by Atlanta Braves pitcher Brandon McCarthy, there is one big difference.
the swing and the trot all look like you but the pitch wasn't three inches off the ground so I guess he's his own man
— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) March 28, 2018
“(T)he swing and the trot all look like you but the pitch wasn’t three inches off the ground so I guess he’s his own man,” McCarthy tweeted.
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