Vladimir Guerrero Jr. gave an emotionally charged speech addressing teammates and fans following the Toronto Blue Jays’ dramatic Game 7 victory in the American League Championship Series (ALCS).
The 26-year-old slugger, who has become the club’s heartbeat on and off the field, delivered a heartfelt message as the Blue Jays secured their first pennant since 1993.
“We do this for the city, man,” Guerrero told Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae. “We do this for y’all. Four more, baby. Four more.”
Guerrero Jr. has been with the Blue Jays organization since signing with the club as an international free agent at the age of 16. He was born in Montreal while his father, Vladimir Guerrero, was with the Expos. After rising the ranks as one of baseball’s best prospects, Guerrero Jr. debuted with the Blue Jays in 2019, helping Toronto qualify for the postseason three times but failing to advance past the wild card round with a 0-6 record.
That all changed this magical baseball season, and it all started when Guerrero Jr. agreed to a mammoth 14-year, $500 million extension, with the homegrown star committing long-term with the organization that took a chance on him as a teenager. It all culminated in Guerrero Jr. and the pesky Blue Jays winning the AL East Division, knocking out the New York Yankees in the ALDS, and trailing the Seattle Mariners 2-0 early in the ALCS before rallying to beat them in a do-or-die Game 7.
“We believe in each other. We believed in this team on the first day of Spring Training,” Guerrero Jr. said on Monday night. “We believe it all. Thank you, fans, for bringing the energy. We get the energy from you guys.”
The 26-year-old is also experiencing one of the best postseason performances in recent memory. He tied a Blue Jays playoff record with six home runs through the ALDS and ALCS, including a monumental grand slam in Game 2 against New York. It came as no surprise when Guerrero Jr. was recognized as ALCS MVP following Toronto’s series-clinching 4-3 win on Monday.
Guerrero Jr. enters the World Series against Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers, hitting .442/.510/.930 and a 1.440 OPS across 11 postseason games.
Springer thanks fans for support
After delivering an all-time Toronto sports moment reminiscent of Jose Bautista’s bat flip (the Blue Jays legend was in attendance on Monday night for Game 7), outfielder George Springer, bruised knee and all, acknowledged and thanked the Rogers Centre faithful.
“I am so happy for everybody here. Our fans, our city, our country. This is for them,” Springer said.
In a season filled with memorable narratives and storylines, Springer’s resurgent campaign at 36 years old and playoff performance are right up there with the best of them. His 23 career postseason home runs trail former Houston Astros teammate Jose Altuve (27) and Manny Ramirez (29) for third all-time; none more clutch than Monday’s three-run, seventh-inning shot.
“I was just trying to get the guy home from third,” a humble Springer said. “The at-bats before me were unbelievable. The bunt by [Andres Gimenez] is huge; that’s such a hard thing to do in that spot, so, if it’s not for those three guys, who knows what happens, but I owe it to them.”
Springer’s resilience was also on full display throughout the series. He took a 96 mph sinker from Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo off the knee in Game 5, and despite his attempts to stay in the game, he was pulled shortly after. He returned to the lineup two days later for Game 6 and never wavered.
“I’ve probably played with George longer than anyone here,” Myles Straw, his former Astros teammate, said. “And I’ve seen him do this every postseason. If there’s someone with a clutch gene, it’s George.
“This is what we envisioned,” Springer said. “I love it. I’m so proud of this team. I’m so proud of everyone. It’s just such an incredible moment.”
With files from Sportsnet staff