TORONTO — Bo Bichette subtly flipped his bat, jogged around the bases and basked in the glory of the greatest home run of his life. He finally obtained his signature post-season moment, and after he crossed home plate, Bichette was greeted with a hug from Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The scene created by Bichette's 442-foot, three-run home run off Shohei Ohtani in the third inning of Game 7 of the World Series almost seemed as if it was destined to happen. Bichette and Guerrero Jr. had been teammates since their first foray into professional baseball and worked their way up the Toronto Blue Jays' organization together.
For a moment on Saturday night at Rogers Centre, in front of an electric crowd of 44,713, they owned the spotlight in the baseball world.
"I think I enjoyed that home run more than him," Guerrero Jr. said through interpreter Hector Lebron.
Ultimately, though, Bichette's homer was bittersweet. It was the high point of a gutting 5-4 loss in 11 innings that allowed the Dodgers to end the World Series and capture their second-straight championship.
The lead that the Blue Jays established with Bichette's homer had slowly dissipated, and then catcher Will Smith launched a solo shot in the 11th that stood up as the game-winner. That left the quiet Blue Jays' clubhouse devastated, with several players crying while trying to articulate their emotions in front of cameras and microphones.
"Obviously it hurts," said Guerrero Jr. "It feels a little bit sad, but I can't feel any prouder of my teammates and all the things that we accomplished this year. I'm very, very proud of my team."
"I'll remember this group forever," Bichette said. "This group taught me what a team is. It's probably the most valuable lesson of my career."
Guerrero Jr. and Bichette are the pillars of this era of Blue Jays baseball and a topic of conversation following the Game 7 loss was how they stepped up during these playoffs. Guerrero Jr. enjoyed a post-season for the ages, batting .397/.494/.795 with eight home runs, 15 RBIs and 29 hits.
"Vladimir took his game to another level,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider.
Bichette, meanwhile, watched from the sidelines during the division and championship series due to a left knee sprain before willing himself back for the World Series.
"What he did to get back is nothing short of amazing," said Schneider before delving into his thoughts on Bichette's epic homer. "He's playing on one leg. So, in the moment, it felt right."
Added infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa: "I was kind of joking around with him, saying you should have limped around the bases a little more, kind of like the [Kirk] Gibson homer. But he was able to come through when we needed him off a great pitcher in Ohtani."
The veterans in the Blue Jays' clubhouse offered perspective of just how far Bichette and Guerrero Jr. have come together. They were once bright-eyed prospects and have now grown enough to handle the burden of heavy expectations.
"Both of them have probably had pressure in every game they've ever played in because of who their dads are," said right-hander Kevin Gausman, who's been with the Blue Jays since the 2022 season. "That was part of the reason why I signed here is just knowing that those guys are a little different than most have been around the game. Both dads were exceptional hitters, so you just know that those guys are just different.
"And I'm just so happy for both of them," continued Gausman. "You can't say anything more about how they play. They both played great."
George Springer, one of the leaders in the room, joined the Blue Jays ahead of the 2021 campaign and has essentially observed Bichette and Guerrero Jr. grow from boys to men. He felt pride watching Bichette launch his thrilling homer on Saturday and added that he's enjoyed observing the path Guerrero Jr. has taken.
"I couldn't be more proud of him," Springer said. "He has the weight of the world on his shoulders and he did an unbelievable job at being who he is and essentially putting us on his back the whole playoffs."
Springer also lauded Bichette for pushing to return to the lineup and Schneider felt the same. As the manager made his rounds through the clubhouse late Saturday night, he stopped by Bichette's locker for an extended embrace with the infielder. Bichette enters free agency in the coming weeks, and both he and Schneider understand that nothing is certain.
Guerrero Jr., who signed a 14-year, $500-million extension in March, seems to be coming to terms with that reality, as well as.
"Obviously, I would love to finish my career playing with him, but it's free agency, so he's got to do his thing and do what he's got to do and get his money," said Guerrero Jr.
Bichette, for his part, reiterated that he wants to remain in Toronto, noting, "I said I want to be here from the beginning." And credit to the infielder for backing up his words with action during the past month.
If Bichette worsened his knee injury, it could’ve cost him millions in a potential free-agent contract. Instead, he not only returned to the Blue Jays' lineup but also did so at second base, a new position to him.
“It shows how much this country means to him, how much this organization means to him,” said Kiner-Falefa. "For him to do that in front of the world and come through, it just shows the type of person he is."
