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LOS ANGELES – It looked like Jason Heyward had just hit his fourth home run of the season, his fourth with the Dodgers, against his former team.
Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger, who’s as familiar with Dodger Stadium’s outfield as anyone, tracked Heywar’s long fly ball back to the center field wall. He jumped, reached, and pulled the ball back for an out.
Dodgers fans, who had been showering Bellinger in cheers in his return to Dodger Stadium, booed. Bellinger grinned and held his palms up in a slight shrug, as if to say, “What?”
That moment, in Heyward’s first at-bat against the Cubs since they released him this past offseason, christened the outfielder swap.
This weekend was full of reunions. Bellinger got the tribute video and automatic-strike-inducing applause Friday for his return to a stadium he’s called home for six years. Heyward will get his return to Wrigley Field later this week. But this weekend gave Heyward a chance to catch up with former teammates, including one he won a World Series with, manager David Ross.
“I know this organization, I know Dave [Roberts,] pretty well and have been around,” said Ross, who started his career with the Dodgers. “I’m sure he fits right in over here.”
At first, Heyward wasn’t sure what his future would look like after parting with the Cubs. When asked in September if he planned on playing this season, Heyward said: “That’s the plan. But as we’re sitting here today, plans don’t always go as you hope.”
This time they did. The Dodgers reached out early and often leading up to Heyward’s signing.
He spent about three and a half weeks in Los Angeles and a little over a month this offseason in Arizona, working with the Dodgers’ hitting coaches. Then, Heyward claimed a roster spot out of spring training, platooning with Trayce Thompson in center field to replace Bellinger. Though Heyward’s average sunk below .200 after an 0-for-3 night Saturday against the Cubs, the power is there.
Ross joked after Bellinger robbed Heyward of a home run: “Serves him right. J-Hey took one away from Nico [Hoerner] early on.”
Heyward made the first play of the game Saturday, sprinting back to the warning track and leaping to catch Nico Hoerner’s deep line drive, which would have otherwise been an extra-base hit.
“Proud of betting on myself, no doubt,” Heyward said. “But having support of the family, having support from teammates, people I knew from the Dodgers organization, obviously former teammates, former people I worked with pulling for me. I’m happy to be playing baseball in a spot that is trying to win and has a lot of tradition.”
Hayward took the lead on one piece of that Dodgers tradition before the game Saturday, Jackie Robinson Day.
He addressed both teams in front of the Jackie Robinson statue inside the center field gate. Then during pregame ceremonies, microphone in hand, Heyward addressed the sold-out crowd from the field.
He pointed to Robinson’s impact on his own life, as a Black baseball player who grew up in Georgia a few hours up the road from where Robinson was born. Hayward said he committed to play at UCLA – where Robinson lettered in four sports – before being drafted out of high school. He connected Robinson’s influence to the Jason Heyward Baseball Academy he started in the North Austin neighborhood of Chicago.
“Then last, but certainly not least,” Heyward said, “to be able to be here today with you all before a game, wearing Dodger blue, to officially thank Jackie as a Dodger for making 42 special to us, for opening a lot of doors for all of us to play this game, to enjoy this game, and put differences aside. I’m blessed to be able to do that as a Dodger today here in front of you all.”
He finished his speech with: “Go Dodgers.”
