Glancing across the Rogers Centre field to see his name on the stadium’s Level of Excellence still leaves former Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista with a “surreal” feeling.
“It’s a good reminder of the time that I spent here, 10 years, it’s a long time,” Bautista said. “A full decade and a lot of good memories and a lot of good times here.”
Sporting a white Blue Jays jersey as he took in a recent game with family in a suite at the ballpark, the memories remain strong for one of the franchise’s all-time greats.
The bat-flip homer in the 2015 playoffs was his signature moment with Toronto but Bautista delivered countless highlights in a Blue Jays uniform. Bautista, who played for eight teams over his 15-year big-league career, will be inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday in St. Marys, Ont.
“I got a call from [Hall director] Scott Crawford and he broke the news to me,” said Bautista, who lives in Tampa, Fla. “[He] kind of caught me off guard, but I was extremely surprised but at the same time humbled and honoured.
“It was a pleasant surprise for sure and it was really exciting.”
The Class of 2025 also includes former MLB pitcher Erik Bedard, junior national team head coach Greg Hamilton, and Amanda Asay, a longtime women’s national team star. Asay will be inducted posthumously.
The Hall’s veterans committee has elected former All-American Girls Professional Baseball League legend Arleene Noga and Gerry Snyder, who played a key role in bringing the Expos to Montreal in 1969.
Noga and Snyder will be inducted posthumously.
Bautista’s memorable three-run bat-flip homer came in a wild 53-minute seventh inning in the Jays’ 2015 American League Division Series against the Texas Rangers.
For a team making its playoff return for the first time in 22 years, it was a true ‘wow’ moment for the current generation of Toronto fans. Bautista also helped anchor the Blue Jays team that returned to the AL Championship Series in 2016.
His last season in Toronto came in 2017 and he played for the three teams — the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies — in his final MLB campaign in 2018.
Bautista hit a club-record 54 homers in 2010, was a six-time all-star and won three Silver Slugger awards. He formally retired in 2023, the year he was added to the Level of Excellence.
“What I’m most proud of is just being available,” Bautista said. “Being there ready to contribute and being one of those guys that was just grinding.”