Jose Bautista made his long-awaited return to Toronto on Tuesday night, and it certainly lived up to the hype.
The New York Mets outfielder was back at the Rogers Centre for the first time since his memorable ten-year run with the Blue Jays ended after last season. Bautista stepped up to the plate in the top of the first inning and was greeted by a raucous standing ovation from the Toronto fans. Take a look:
Joey Bats still gets love in the 6. pic.twitter.com/xqOxAwTZt2
— Cut4 (@Cut4) July 3, 2018
“It feels great, it feels like nothing has changed,” said Bautista before the interleague game, per Gregory Strong of the Canadian Press. “It’s a good feeling to be back. Obviously a lot of emotions and a lot of memories.”
There are lot of memories indeed for the 37-year-old Bautista, who enjoyed the best years of his career with the Blue Jays. After joining the team in 2008, Bautista would go on to make six straight All-Star teams, lead the league in homers twice, and deliver one of the most iconic moments in playoff history.
The Blue Jays would decline his team option after the 2017 season, leading to Bautista briefly playing for the Atlanta Braves before signing with the Mets in May. If Tuesday night was any indication though, the veteran slugger will always be a Toronto lifer in the eyes of the local fans.
