Toronto Blue Jays Legends Thank Jose Bautista at Level of Excellence Ceremony
Jose Bautista was the face of the Toronto Blue Jays for nearly a decade, and the numerous teammates and friends he made along the way made sure to be part of his special day.
Toronto inducted Bautista into their Level of Excellence on Saturday, one day after signing the slugger to a one-day contract so he could retire a Blue Jay. Bautista played for the Blue Jays from 2008 to 2017, during which he led the team to a handful of clutch victories and playoff wins.
Of course, Bautista wasn't able to put Toronto back on the baseball map all by himself.
Many of the teammates who helped the Blue Jays thrive in the early 2010s recorded messages to congratulate Bautista as part of an emotional tribute video played at Rogers Centre on Saturday. Edwin Encarnacion, Adam Lind, Ricky Romero, Marcus Stroman and Russell Martin were among those who shared personal stories about Bautista, who was in tears down on the field.
Bautista finished his Blue Jays career with 288 home runs, 776 RBI and a 38.3 WAR, which rank second, third and first in franchise history among position players, respectively. The Dominican Republic native made six All-Star teams, won three Silver Sluggers and placed top-eight in AL MVP voting four times during his 10-year stint in Toronto.
The Blue Jays wound up losing 5-4 to the Chicago Cubs on Saturday following Bautista's ceremony. Utility man Christopher Morel hit an RBI double off of closer Jordan Hicks in the top of the ninth, putting Toronto on the verge of getting swept on their home turf.
Sunday's series finale is scheduled to start at 1:37 p.m. ET.
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