The sun shines through the clouds as I walk gingerly toward a vacant baseball field in Dunedin, Florida. The players haven’t arrived yet, as I watch the groundskeepers finish final preparations before the Blue Jays players take the field to begin their daily workout. I can’t help but think of the wonderful years I spent at Expo camps.
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It’s been a long time since I’ve been back to work at a training camp.
Allow me to share with you my loneliness with regard to the Expos which was at its height when I approached the field. My best memories of the “Big Orange”, Rusty Staub, the comforting smile of Gary Carter, the power of André Dawson, the elegance of Tim Wallach who caught balls at third base, the speed of Tim Raines who ran around the bases and Bill Lee who always found a way to remind me of baseball history.
Suddenly, I was awakened by the presence of a muscular Montrealer, wearing a sleeveless sweater, standing in front of me. It was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. smiling at me as I approached him. The ensuing conversation with him took place entirely in English.
We’re at training camp, I don’t want to talk to him about his slapping, his massive weight loss, or the team in general. No, I simply wanted to talk to the young Montrealer that I regularly encountered at the ice cream machine. He was all smiles when I asked him what was the most memorable event he shared with his father, Vladimir, when he played for the Expos. Without hesitation, he reminded me of the legendary photo with his father in the outfield of the Olympic Stadium, while his father waved his cap at the fans.
Mentor role
Before his batting practice session, he was sitting alone in the dugout wrapping tape around the shaft of his bat. I told him about the time that I was with his father under the stands of the Olympic Stadium and that Felipe Alou had told him in a firm tone that if he wanted to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, he had to play with energy every day. days.
“Felipe took care of my father on and off the field. He made my father a better player. My father explained to me the role that Felipe played in his career. Today I try to follow Felipe’s advice. This is why Felipe Alou is like a second father to me.”
Wonderful grandmother
For more than two decades, her grandmother cooked for her sons, Vladimir Sr. and Wilton, who played for the Expos and other teams, and for her grandson Vladimir Jr., not to mention their teammates, opposing players and not necessarily Latin players. This year will be different for Vlad Jr., as his grandmother has decided to retire as a cook. The grandmother played a remarkable role in the careers of her two sons and her grandson.
Before walking away towards the batting cage, with a big smile on his face he said to me: “I will never forget the ovation the Expos fans gave me when I hit the home run winning against St.Louis in an exhibition match in Montreal.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t wearing an Expos uniform!
2024-03-14 04:08:24
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