What people were saying about Jose Bautista’s (likely) final home game as a Jay
Sunday’s Jays matchup against the Yankees may have been Jose Bautista’s final home game as a Blue Jay. The legendary slugger’s contract comes up for renewal this year—and, after a mediocre season, it’s expected that the team’s management will opt to cut him loose. Rather than wait to see what happens in 2018, the Jays arranged a farewell for Bautista on Sunday, allowing fans at Rogers Centre to applaud the bat-flipping, Booster Juice–shilling, scooter-riding phenom who helped reinvigorate Toronto baseball. Here’s what some people were saying.
Marcus Stroman warmed up in a vintage Bautista jersey, setting the tone for the valedictory game:
@sportslogosnet Marcus Stroman coming out for warmups in the old school black Jays Bautista jersey. Class. ? pic.twitter.com/g1aFypAquN
— Jesse Humble Opinion (@Jdtp86) September 24, 2017
Bautista took the field by himself to give fans a final wave:
Jays had Bautista take the field by himself. The entire Dome plus the players all gave him a standing O. Chills. pic.twitter.com/54IUraO9mD
— Sleeve Fierce (@Lesley_NOPE) September 24, 2017
Even grizzled sports reporters were getting a little worked up:
Hard even for an old Star baseball columnist in 45th year in MLB not to get emotional watching Jose Bautista's final G in Toronto #BlueJays
— Richard Griffin (@RGriffinStar) September 24, 2017
From the sound of it, Rogers Centre was soaked with fan tears by the end of the game:
Bautista takes a curtain call, waves to the fans, applauds them…and did someone start cutting onions in here? #Bluejays #Jays
— Mike Wilner (@Wilnerness590) September 24, 2017
Bautista would probably approve of his farewell helping people reach their fitness goals:
Just synced my Fitbit and realized it counted an extra 3,000 steps from all the clapping I did at the game yesterday.
— BallHer Bautista (@BaseballHer) September 25, 2017
Some people are taking his impending departure pretty personally, though:
jose bautista leaving the blue jays makes me feel like i just got dumped
— lalo (@swankdaddyy) September 25, 2017
This is as good a reason as any to have children:
When Jose Bautista hit 54 homeruns I was 12. I was 17 when he bat flipped. Now I'm almost 20. Can't wait to tell my kids how amazing he was.
— Joseph Whalen (@SportsFanJoe17) September 24, 2017
Toronto didn’t win the World Series during Bautista’s tenure, but he did deliver one of the most memorable postseason moments in the team’s history:
— Ian Hunter (@BlueJayHunter) September 24, 2017
This could be his epitaph:
José Bautista was never boring.
— Tao of Stieb (@TaoofStieb) September 24, 2017