Jose Bautista, a landmark figure in Toronto Blue Jays history, has symbolically inked a one-day deal with the team and will be honored in Toronto on Saturday. To mark the occasion, the first 20,000 supporters to show up at Rogers Center will receive one such figurine bobblehead He remembers his famous “bat flip” on October 14, 2015.
That day in Toronto, Bautista wowed fans with a big home run in game five of the American League Division Series against Texas Rangers. That memory lives on in the collective memory, but for his former team-mate Russell Martin, Bautista’s entire career remains impressive thanks to his professionalism.
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“I’ve known him for so long and he’s one of my most unforgettable teammates,” said Martin. Of course it’s easy for me to say that, because he’s also my friend in everyday life. We still play golf from time to time.”
Martin and Bautista knew each other at Chipola College in Florida long before they played with the Blue Jays from 2015-2017. The Quebecer was only 17 at the time.
Bautista and Russell Martin, August 10, 2017. Photo Tom Szczerbowski/AFP
“I remember at Chipola we had to run when we were punished by the coach for not playing well and he was always the one leading the group,” Martin said.
The attitude to success
It’s that professional side the former Quebec receiver has always admired in the Dominicans.
“He’s a guy who had high expectations of himself,” Martin said. He really wanted to perform. Every time someone took it off, they blamed themselves. He always thought he was better than the pitcher in front of him. That was his attitude and that’s how you succeed in baseball.”
Photo Ronald Martinez/AFP
“He always had talent and a lot of skill,” the Quebec native noted, recalling he could throw fastballs at 95 mph off the hill. Its potential was almost limitless. After some difficult years early in his career, his professionalism and work ethic made him break through.
Introduced by the Blue Jays
This level of professionalism means that Bautista is one of the standout players in the team’s history. Beyond the “bat flip,” the former outfielder played nine full seasons with the Jays and was selected for the All-Star Game six straight years. His offensive contribution was also recognized with three Silver Bat awards (2010, 2011 and 2014). Bautista is also second in Blue Jays history for home runs with 288. In this chapter only Carlos Delgado is ahead of him.
Signing a one-day contract allows Bautista to officially step down as a member of the Jays. During his career, he wore the colors of seven other teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, for 400 games.
“You get better at dealing with this guy every day because you see how he takes care of his body and how he prepares for games,” Martin said. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of his because of his professional side.
- Jose Bautista is the 11th ex-Blue Jays player to join the Level of Excellence group. The other members are: George Bell, Dave Stieb, Joe Carter, Cito Gaston, Tony Fernandez, Pat Gillick, Tom Cheek, Paul Beeston, Carlos Delgado and Roy Halladay.