NEW YORK (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s trot got Yankee Stadium fans hot.
The Toronto Blue Jays star celebrates his home runs with a distinctive series of moves while circling the bases, including a shushing motion when he rounds third.
When Guerrero went deep with Toronto trailing the New York Yankees by seven runs on Saturday night, fans in the Bronx responded to his running routine with boos.
“It's something that I do everywhere regardless the situation,” Guerrero said through a translator after the Blue Jays' 9-8 loss.
With the Blue Jays behind 9-2, Guerrero led off the seventh inning with a 362-foot, opposite-field drive to right-center against Luke Weaver, his second home run this season. Guerrero pointed to fans while he was between first and second base. He stopped near shortstop and hopped, then continued circling the bases. As he passed third, he raised his right index finger to his lips.
“That's kind of his M.O. around third all the time,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “I've said it before: They don't boo nobodies here in New York.”
Guerrero made a similar motion at Yankee Stadium when he homered off Corey Kluber on May 25, 2021.
“I actually started the whole thing right after 2020 and in '21 and to this day,” Guerrero said. "Just enjoy the moment. Everybody does different things, like the jump and everything else and the hop, and that’s what I do and that’s what I like.”
Both his home runs this year have been solo shots, his only RBIs. He is hitting .182 (6 for 33) but felt more himself Saturday.
“Better quality at-bats, definitely, especially the last three at-bats,” Guerrero said.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
Ronald Blum, The Associated Press
