A Very Vladi Debut: Humble September at bats

Expanded rosters in September give teams, especially those already out of playoff contention, a chance to see how close some of their top prospects are to being ready for big-league action, or just to expose the youngsters to life in the big leagues.

A flood of emotions surely goes through the minds of players when they are called up. This could be their chance to prove to team executives that their time has truly arrived, that they need no more minor league experience. Phone calls are made back home, informing family and loved ones that the player got called up to the big leagues. Plans are made for family to travel and see the grand moment of their first game in the major leagues.

But the cup of coffee is also about trying to address a lot of questions: Can the prospect handle the pressure, a major league curveball, or the baseball know-how of veterans at the next level? Is the rookie eager to learn? And in the case of Latinos, can they continue to make the cultural adjustment.

Los Expos de Montreal

All these concerns were on the table when the Montreal Expos called up their 22-year old Dominican prospect Vladimir Guerrero from their AA team in Harrisburg, Pa., in September 1996. The powerfully-built right fielder from the little Dominican town of Don Gregorio was making a significant jump, from Class AA to the big leagues.

But one can scarcely think of a better situation to try to make that jump than in Montreal. Managed by Felipe Alou, the first Dominican manager in Major League Baseball, the Expos had a distinct Latino flavor to their roster. Their pitching staff included Dominican Pedro Martínez and Mel Rojas along with Venezuelans Ugueth Urbina and Omar Daal. The starting lineup featured Moíses Alou, David Seguí and Henry Rodríguez.

The Expos prospect would therefore not be alone in facing the challenges of the jump in competition. His Latino teammates and managers were also there for him in dealing with being in towns where Spanish was not the primary language. Time spent in Montreal presented the added twist to the young Dominican that it was a predominantly French-speaking community.

Vladi Breaks Through

Felipe Alou penciled Guerrero’s name into the sixth spot of the batting order for their Sept. 19 game in Atlanta. The Expos had Martínez on the mound facing off against the Braves lefty Steve Avery. It very much looked to be a potential pitchers’ duel.

Starting in right field and wearing No. 27, Guerrero stepped to the plate for his first big league at-bat in the second inning. Braves lefthander Avery retired Guerrero on a grounder to third base on an 0-2 pitch.

The Braves couldn’t muster much against Martínez, who was evolving into an ace pitcher under the tutelage of Felipe Alou.

It remained a scoreless tie when Guerrero took his second turn at the plate in the top of the fourth. The tall Dominican struck a grounder up the middle for a single into center field for his first major-league hit. His time on the bases ended quickly as teammate F.P. Santangelo grounded into a double play.

Manager’s Vote of Confidence

Guerrero did not have any more success at the plate, going 1 for 5 against three different pitchers in his debut. His teammates, however, took care of the Braves, defeating Atlanta 5-1 powered by the hitting of Segui and Moíses Alou that enabled Urbina to earn his tenth victory.

What Guerrero did have, however, was the confidence of his manager. Even though the Expos still had playoff hopes, Alou continued to pencil Guerrero’s name into Montreal’s lineup, hopeful that the talented rookie would connect at the plate.

Guerrero wasn’t quite yet ready to handle major-league pitching, batting just .185 with five hits in 27 at-bats. The Expos finished in second place in the National League East with an 88-74 record, eight games behind the Braves. However, the experience that Guerrero gained through his first stint and the confidence he gained from having Felipe Alou as his manager prepared him for what was to come.

In 1997 Guerrero would return to the Expos for his rookie campaign. This time he proved he was in Montreal to stay, hitting .302 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI in 90 games. This would be the first of 11 consecutive seasons he hit .300 or better on his way to a lifetime .318 average. His power numbers also steadily improved as he compiled eight seasons of 30 or more home runs before finishing with 449 over his 16 year career.

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