Blue Jay Santiago Espinal meets his hero, and connects with a few fastballs

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This article was published 11/04/2021 (1674 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DUNEDIN, FLA.—Meet your hero and make an agog fool out of yourself.

Not that Santiago Espinal played the fool, exactly, upon fulfilment of a long-held dream. But, after a face-to-face brief encounter with future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols, he offered a duh eyeroll over his tongue-tied exchange and probably would like a do-over.

The versatile Blue Jays infielder had told Vladimir Guerrero how much he’d love to actually talk with Pujols. And Guerrero was in the outfield, chatting with his Dominican compatriot before the interminably rain-delayed game on Saturday evening. Guerrero motioned Espinal over.

“As soon as I saw him, I was like, hey, my name is Santiago. It’s a pleasure to meet you. It’s a pleasure to be on the same field as you.”

He shook Pujols’ hand. Shyly.

I was at the game and didn’t actually notice any of this. My friend Hazel Mae, Sportsnet doyenne, spotted it however from 2,188 kilometres away, on the live broadcast feed. Which is how Espinal came to talk about it in his Zoom exchange with reporters on Sunday — a couple of hours before the finale between the Jays and the Los Angeles Angels was ditched because of rain.

“He told me as soon as I got there every day to go out and give my 100 per cent, no matter what day it is. I just smiled. I didn’t say anything back. I didn’t know what to say. I just smiled back and say, thank you, and then he said good to meet you man, just go out there and play hard. I was like, thank you.”

Maybe the experience will sprout some exaggerated wings over the years to come, in the retelling. Or perhaps they chatted further on the three occasions Espinal occupied first base. But not when Espinal sped past Pujols in a blur for his first double of the season.

It’s not coincidence that Espinal, also issuing from the Dominican Republic, wears the same No. 5 on his jersey as his idol.

“I love No. 5 but that’s part of it too. Albert Pujols is a legend.”

For context: Espinal was playing his 27th career game; Pujols was playing his 2,868th.

What Pujols and the rest of the Halos saw on Saturday evening, once the dramatic thunderstorm passed, was the best of Espinal, making his 2021 debut, plucked from the taxi squad as manager Charlie Montoyo struggled to slap together a lineup, presented with the dual challenges of COVID vaccine side effects among some players and a litany of injuries.

Somehow it all came up smelling like roses with Toronto’s much-heralded offensive might ablaze on a cold, damp, windy night at TD Ballpark — pummeling the Angels 15-1.

Espinal, starting at third base, contributed to that fusillade of the bats with a pair of singles in the blowout seven-run second inning and the double in the four-run fourth. Three-for-five, matching a career-high three hits.

It was raining men on base as the Jays managed all that smack without once knocking a ball out of the park.

A poised Espinal, while rocked back on his heels, initiated an excellent round-the-horn double-play off Anthony Rendon’s bat in the sixth frame.

“The grass was very wet. That’s one of the things that I was looking more into the game, because you get a ground ball, it’s going to get to you fast. When I saw that hop get to me, I was like, I got to get rid of this ball right away. Balls are wet, you have to get rid of it right away and make sure you make a good throw. So I made sure I make a good throw, I made sure I was in good position to take the ground ball, and thankfully it worked out.”

The skipper was pleased with both Espinal and Josh Palacios, who’d made his major-league debut the previous evening, and kept the lineup card as a memento even though he’d gone 0-for-3 at the plate. On Saturday, the Brooklynite was lights out dandy, beginning with a homely blunt single for his first career hit, going 4-for-4 with a walk while scoring four times. Grabbed himself a piece of history too, second player in American League annals with four-plus hits in one of his two first games in the majors, not done since Wild Conroy for the Brewers in 1901.

“It was fun to watch those two kids have great games,” said Montoyo. “And of course it will be a tough move when we have to make it. But I’m happy for them and I’m happy for us, the way they played.”

Tough move because one or both will doubtless be returned to the alternate training site, with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ready to reclaim left field after recovering from his COVID-vax retching heaves.

Crosstown venues can feel like worlds apart, though Espinal asserts he’s main tremendous progress on the taxi squad last year and this. “Every day, thank God, we have a scrimmage. Every day we have practice. So I try to do a little bit of everything every day.” Takes turns at multiple positions. “I was even working on centre field, third base, short, second. Just in case the team needs me whenever they call me up. Also, we play a lot of games on the taxi squad. I just make sure I get my at-bats and feel comfortable at the plate when they call me up.”

Espinal is most naturally a shortstop, but that job is currently filled — and likely for many years to come, although some think it unwise — by best buddy Bo Bichette. The 23-year-old has had some defensive missteps, racking up three errors in just nine games. (Hey, his Angels opposite, Jose Iglesias, had three errors in just one game Saturday, two of them on one play.)

Bichette was a key character in Toronto’s rout of the Angels — who will not have fond memories of Dunedin, despite taking two Ws off the Jays. In the process, they lost outfielder Dexter Fowler with a torn ACL in his left knee, Bichette an innocent party to that episode. Bichette doubled twice and drove in a career-high five runs while extending his hitting streak to eight games.

For Espinal, sticking with the Jays, at short anyway, means going through Bichette. More probably his role with Toronto would be as a utility infielder. In any event, the circumstances haven’t affected their close friendship.

While it was another pain in the arse afternoon of waiting around to see if the game would ever get off the ground, the Jays did have some good news: Robbie Ray, on the injured list with a bruised elbow, will be on the mound when Toronto opens a three-game set hosting the Yankees on Monday.

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The rainout meant Tanner Roark missed his second scheduled start of the season. In fact, Montoyo disclosed that the veteran is being sent to the bullpen as a long reliever. Which I just bet will thrill many a Jays fan who’ve run out of patience with the errant right-hander. Not necessarily forever and anon, but for now.

How did Roark take it?

“He was a pro,” claimed Montoyo. “We told him and he was fine with it.”

Didn’t whinge maybe. But fine? I’m thinking: Uh-uh.

Rosie DiManno is a Toronto-based columnist covering sports and current affairs for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @rdimanno