Fernando Tatis Jr. makes El Paso debut with Chihuahuas
Julian Maldanado wasn't going to miss a minute of his chance to catch Fernando Tatis Jr. at Southwest University Park on Tuesday.
The 12-year-old literally caught him. Ten minutes before Maldanado was one of the first people in line for the 5 p.m. opening of the gates to see the El Paso Chihuahuas' 6 p.m. game against the Albuquerque Isotopes, he was standing beyond the right-field wall trying to peer in for batting practice.
Right on cue, Tatis launched one over the right field wall, over the walkway, over the property fence and Maladando had a baseball.
"I'm excited. I'm just happy I got his ball," said Maldanado, one of many people at the park wearing a Tatis Jr. San Diego Padres jersey but the first one with a ball hit by him. "It's awesome, it's amazing, it's an amazing feeling. I'll be screaming as loud as I can."
Tatis didn't get the best reception in Sacramento last week, hearing a few boos that are expected to follow him in opposing parks as he completes an 80-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs, but while he had never been to El Paso before, he was on friendly ground.
Ticket sales were up for Tuesday's game and are expected to be strong all week, and the crowd loudly cheered Tatis Jr. at every opportunity. That began with his announcement as the leadoff hitter and right fielder, continued when he dug in at the plate for his first at-bat and went on when he slashed a single to left field.
Tatis Jr. is not available for media interviews during his 15-day stay in Triple-A. He becomes eligible to rejoin the Padres on April 20.
Excitement wasn't limited to 12-year-olds. The 27-year-old Michael Cantu wasn't wearing a Tatis jersey because he was wearing his own 33 Chihuahuas jersey, on account of he's a Chihuahuas catcher.
"Just seeing your name on the same card as him is pretty incredible," Cantu said. "He's one of the best players in baseball, he really is. It's exciting.
"I've been with him a little in spring training. We've always intertwined a little bit, so to get to play with him now in El Paso has been pretty cool. He's great, he's great to be around, loves the game. He's a kid who loves the game just like all of us."
Manager Phillip Wellman managed Tatis Jr. with Double-A San Antonio in 2017 and 2018 before Tatis jumped straight past El Paso to San Diego and the big leagues, and since then Tatis Jr. has asked to do his rehab assignments with Wellman and hitting coach Raul Padron.
With Wellman and Padron newly in El Paso, this is where Tatis Jr. wanted to come for this 15-day assignment.
"I've had him when he was 19 in Double-A, this is the third rehab stint I've had with him and it's always a pleasure when you get to sit back and watch a player with elite ability," Wellman said. "Everything he does is exciting, he brings a lot of excitement to the game."
Wellman said Tatis Jr., who came into this game 3-for-13 batting with six walks before his leadoff single, is on pace to be back in San Diego as soon as he's eligible on April 20th.
"He's competed very well, he's run the bases the way he always does with excitement and energy," Wellman said. "He's played well in right field. I think another week's worth of at-bats he's ready to cut the cord and go on his way."
Chihuahuas general manager Brad Taylor said this was a uniquely exciting day for the franchise.
"It's great for El Paso," Taylor said. "If you think about it, one of the best players in Major League baseball has already worn our city's name across his chest on the road in Sacramento. Now the people of El Paso are going to see one of the elite players in the world right here at their ballpark, Southwest University Park.
"It's great to have him here in a Chihuahuas uniform on his path back to the Padres."
As for ticket sales, Tuesday is "probably more like a Friday than it is like a Tuesday," Taylor said. "The day game (Wednesday) was already standing-room only before this was announced. The weekends were good before this was announced, so we should get some fill-in on Thursday and Sunday."
Fankie Guerrola was another of the fans in a Tatis Jr. jersey, one of a throng who came through when the gates opened and gathered in the stands near the steps to the Chihuahuas' dugout hoping for a closer sighting of Tatis Jr.
"It's good to have someone that big here in El Paso," Guerrola said. Padres star pitcher "Blake Snell when he was here last year was big, but yeah, he'll be the most exciting player."
The excitement was at Southwest University Park on Tuesday and was scheduled to be there all week.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Fernando Tatis Jr. makes El Paso debut with Chihuahuas
