The post Vladimir Guerrero Jr. gets hero’s welcome in Dominican Republic return appeared first on ClutchPoints.

There is no getting around the fact that the Toronto Blue Jays and their fans are hurting. After all, they are coming off a tough seven-game loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

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However, their powerful slugger, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., was right there to pick everybody up and focus on the positive. Afterward, Guerrero decided to return to his homeland, the Dominican Republic, per Jomboy Media. While there, a parade was held in his honor as throngs of fans wanted to catch a glimpse of him, per Talkin’ Baseball.

 

During the regular season, Guerrero batted .292 with 172 hits, 23 home runs, and 84 RBIs. In the postseason, he batted .397 with 29 hits, eight home runs, and fifteen RBIs, along with eighteen runs scored.

In the process, he helped lead the Blue Jays into the World Series for the first time since 1993. It was also the first time they had won the AL pennant since 2015 and the first time they had won the AL East since 2015.

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Altogether, the Blue Jays won 94 games. Meanwhile, Guerrero closed out his sixth season in Toronto. In April, he signed a historic 14-year $500 million contract extension with the organization.

The lineage of MLB greats who have come out of the Dominican Republic

Over the years, some of the greatest MLB players have come from the Dominican Republic, where baseball is their national pastime, while football is increasingly becoming that in America. Among the pool of greatness are the likes of Juan Marichal, Albert Pujols, Pedro Martinez, Sammy Sosa, and David Ortiz.

Additionally, the elder Vladimir Guerrero came from the Dominican Republic, and by extension, so did Junior. When someone from the Dominican Republic makes it in the big leagues, they become a symbol of national pride.

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Thus leading people to celebrate them as if they were a virtual deity when they come home.

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