Blue Jays legend Bautista still isn't over infamous home run-robbing fan
Just like many of the team’s fans, Toronto Blue Jays legend Jose Bautista still finds himself thinking back to the 2015 team with fond memories.
In an interview with his former manager John Gibbons on The Gibby Show, Bautista opened up about his 10 years in Toronto, where he went from a player traded for a minor leaguer to an all-time franchise great.
The interview was about as you’d expect — recalling Bautista’s rise to the major leagues, finding his groove in Toronto with his 54 home runs in 2010, and of course, his infamous ‘bat flip’ home run in Game 5 of the 2015 American League Division Series against the Texas Rangers.
Ahead of Bautista’s No. 19 jersey being raised to the Rogers Centre’s Level of Excellence this coming Saturday, it’s a sensible time for him to do a series of media hits this week.
But Bautista admits he’s still thinking about what could’ve been with one of the two teams in his career — along with the 2016 Blue Jays — that advanced to be one of baseball’s final four come playoff time.
“I felt like that year, we had a pretty good chance. And it was like, the one that slipped away,” Bautista said in the interview about the 2015 team. “It was bittersweet that postseason.”
In particular, Bautista recalled the outstretched arm of Kansas City Royals fan — Caleb Humphreys — a spectator who infamously snagged Mike Moustakas’ home run ball in Game 6 of the 2015 American League Championship Series, a win that ended Toronto’s season.
Some angles appeared to show Humphreys reaching out from his seat over the field of play, leading to the home run possibly being called a ground rule double. But after replays, the home run stood, giving Kansas City a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd that they would not relinquish, ultimately winning 4-3.
“I remember somebody hitting a homerun on [the Royals] and a fan leaning over in right centre,” Bautista said. “I thought for sure with the review that was gonna get called back.”
It wasn’t the only moment that series that left Toronto — and Bautista — annoyed that playoffs.
“I remember, you know, the miscommunication between Ryan Goins and myself on a pop-up. That opened up a big inning for the Royals,” Bautista admitted about a play during Game 2 that led to a five-run Kansas City inning that Toronto was initially leading 3-0.
Bautista’s Level of Excellence ceremony will be broadcast this Saturday, August 12, at 2:30 ET on Sportsnet, ahead of a 3:07 pm first pitch against the Chicago Cubs.
- You might also like:
- Blue Jays legend Bautista exploring passions beyond baseball in retirement