TORONTO — It was just like old times for former Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista on Tuesday afternoon at Rogers Centre.
He stepped up to the plate in batting practice and casually uncorked a rocket over the fence like he did on countless occasions in a Toronto uniform.
The only difference was this time he was sporting an orange-brimmed New York Mets hat and an unfamiliar No. 11 on his sleeve.
Bautista, who's 37 now and in the twilight of his big-league career, returned to Toronto for the first time since his 10-year run with the team ended after the 2017 season.
"It feels great, it feels like nothing has changed," he said before the Mets dropped an 8-6 decision to the Blue Jays. "It's a good feeling to be back. Obviously a lot of emotions and a lot of memories."
Bautista appeared misty-eyed after a pre-game tribute was shown on the stadium video screen.
Batting second in the New York lineup, Bautista tapped catcher Russell Martin's shin pads before his first at-bat. He waved to the Toronto dugout and raised his hat to the crowd, which greeted him with a standing ovation.
"The standing O when I came up to the plate was very classy," Bautista said. "You don't get to do many of those in your career so I tried to enjoy it as much as I could."
Bautista's familiar walkout track — Usher's "OMG" — was played for the occasion.
Fans even chimed in with a "Jo-se! Jo-se! Jo-se!" chant for good measure.
Bautista drew a walk in his first plate appearance and scored on an Asdrubal Cabrera home run.
He had mixed results in right field, making a nice sliding catch to rob Martin of a hit in the second inning but also misplaying a Randal Grichuk liner in the seventh for a two-base error.
Bautista singled in the ninth to finish 1 for 2 at the plate with three walks.
Bautista made his big-league debut in 2004 but really blossomed in 2010 with Toronto. He hit 54 homers that year and drove in 124 runs to kick off a run of six straight all-star appearances.
His list of highlights is a long one — none bigger than the memorable bat-flip homer in 2015 — and he helped anchor the teams that made back-to-back American League Championship Series appearances in '15 and '16.
"He brought a great intensity every day whether things were going good or bad," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons.
Bautista was a steady force early in his Blue Jays tenure when middling team results were the norm. He shone in the playoffs and had a penchant for coming up with the clutch hit — or homer.
He said he's proud of the length of his run in Toronto.
"It's hard to pinpoint one or two moments," Bautista said. "Obviously the playoff runs are great. But just the life experiences, the friendships, everything else that comes with it. I don't think you can just single out a few moments out in the field, that would be unfair."
Bautista came out during Toronto's batting practice to greet his former teammates by the batting cage. There were plenty of hugs, high-fives and smiles from the players, Gibbons and the coaching staff.
"He came to play every day, he knew that was his obligation even when he was banged up," Gibbons said. "He knew people came to watch him play."
Bautista's numbers tailed off last season and the Blue Jays did not pick up the team option on his contract.
"I can't say that I was angry, it's a business decision and an understandable one," he said. "I'm not naive or selfish enough to believe that they should have done that. Numbers speak for themselves and it wasn't my best year. I think that's no secret.
"But I received an opportunity and here I am and looking to make the best of it. I'm not trying to dwell on the past and let any of that drive me now. I feel that I can find enough drive just in my desire to continue to play the game and help my team win."
Bautista didn't have any takers in the off-season but eventually caught on with Atlanta. His run with the Braves lasted just 12 games but the Mets picked him up two days after his release.
He entered play Tuesday with a .250 batting average, three homers and 13 RBIs in 36 games with New York.
"I'm just continuing to be patient and trying not to strike out," Bautista said. "I feel like when I put the ball in play, things happen."
Bautista played 1,235 regular-season games with the Blue Jays. He's second on the franchise's all-time list with 288 homers.
"He just played the game right," Gibbons said. "He made his name here."
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Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
