Vladimir Guererro Jr. makes Montréal baseball history

Game Recap | Box Score

Heading into the bottom of the 9th, with no runs by either team, the Blue Jays needed to end the game decisively; otherwise, it was going to end in a tie soon after. With two outs, an unbelievable, unexpected and almost impossible situation occurred, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stepped to the plate, and within seconds, the whole stadium understood the implications of what could happen. They also recognized if it did happen, how special a moment this would be.

As much as a treat it is to have baseball back in the city for a couple of days a year; it’s not lost on anyone that these are not our games. The narrative of the Blue Jays as “Canada’s Team” is understood, but it’s hard to swallow when one is sitting in the same stadium where the Expos used to play, no matter how run down it is. There was always a sense that no matter how much fun these exhibition games should be, they weren’t truly ours. There was some bit of disconnect with them, other than our relationship with Russell Martin.

Cheering for Vladimir Guererro was something different. It was the first time in over 14 years that Montreal baseball fans got to cheer for something that felt just a bit ours. In some ways, yes it was a celebration of past events and familial connections. But it was more than that. It was cheering on someone who was a part of the future of the game, someone who was born here, who played in this same stadium as a child.

It was the first baseball moment in a very long time that Montreal truly owned. We weren’t cheering for the Toronto Blue Jays; we were cheering for us.

Take a look at the discussion on Reddit to get a sense of the wonder and amazement of the end of this game.