Jose Bautista, the former Toronto Blue Jays slugger, officially ended his playing career by signing a one-day contract with the team’s president, Mark Shapiro, in front of the media. Bautista expressed that although he had retired a while ago, this ceremony made it official. With his family present, the news conference at Rogers Centre marked his retirement as a Blue Jay. Bautista will also be honored in a pre-game ceremony at Rogers Centre, where he will be added to the Level of Excellence. Saturday’s ceremony will be attended by his family and former teammates, such as Marcus Stroman, who now plays for the Chicago Cubs. Shapiro expressed his excitement about the ceremony but acknowledged that it should have happened sooner. He draped a powder blue Jays uniform on Bautista, which came after his time with the team. Bautista began his Major League Baseball career in 2004, playing for multiple teams before being traded to the Blue Jays in 2008. He had immense success with the team, thanks to the guidance of manager Cito Gaston and hitting coach Dwayne Murphy. Their investment in Bautista paid off as he became a formidable slugger and an essential member of Toronto’s lineup. Bautista’s achievements include six consecutive all-star selections, three Silver Slugger Awards, and leading the league in home runs in 2010 and 2011. He finished his career with 1,496 hits, 344 home runs, a .247 batting average, and 975 runs batted in. One of his most memorable moments was his three-run home run in the 2015 American League Division Series, accompanied by an iconic bat flip that delighted Blue Jays fans but caused controversy with the Rangers. Bautista emphasized the difficulty of choosing a favorite memory, as he had many great moments and connections during his ten-year tenure with the team. Since 2018, Bautista has not played professionally, except for his participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he won a bronze medal with the Dominican Republic team. Current Blue Jays manager John Schneider expects the entire team to be present for Saturday’s ceremony, as he believes it is important to acknowledge the organization’s history and inspire players to create their own memorable moments.
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