MIAMI -- In a lopsided contest, Major Leaguers usually stick to a more subdued home run trot when rounding the bases.
But Brian Navarreto's long-awaited milestone was reason to celebrate in Friday night’s otherwise forgettable series opener.
With the Marlins trailing 9-1 in the eighth inning, Navarreto lined Phillies lefty Tanner Banks’ center-cut four-seamer to center field. Navarreto pumped his fist when the ball went over the wall for a two-run homer, then was greeted by his teammates in the dugout with the club’s home run fish hat and a sunflower seed shower.
“I noticed it like, ‘OK, I hit it hard,’ but it was like a line drive, like a low line drive, and it's kind of like, ‘Well, I might have to run to get a triple,’” Navarreto said. “… I didn't know if it was about to go out, and as soon as it did, it was really emotional.”
After Navarreto made his Major League debut on Aug. 23, 2020, with the Marlins during the COVID-impacted season, he saw big league action just one more time two days later. Since then, Navarreto has bided his time at the Triple-A level in the Marlins’ and Brewers’ organizations.
Decimated by injuries, Miami selected Navarreto’s contract from Triple-A Jacksonville on Monday when rosters expanded. He had yet to appear in a game, serving as insurance for rookie backstops Agustín Ramírez and Liam Hicks. With the Marlins down by eight runs and Friday beginning a stretch of 10 games in as many days, Navarreto replaced Ramírez behind the dish in the eighth.
Navarreto’s first career homer came 1,837 days after his last MLB at-bat on Aug. 25, 2020, in Game 2 of a doubleheader against the Mets. According to Elias Sports Bureau, only one other player since 1900 had gone longer between MLB appearances and his next home run: Ron Tingley, who went 2,132 days between games (Oct. 2, 1982 and Aug. 3, 1988).
“That was certainly the highlight of the evening for us tonight,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “Everyone was excited. You can see the love that his teammates showed him as he got into the dugout, the excitement he had, and rightly so. As cruel as this game can be sometimes, I think it reminds you of why we all love it, and the game has a way of honoring those that just go about it and do the right thing. And that's Brian Navarreto.
“So for him to hang in there, for a long time, to get back to the big leagues and to get his first Major League homer, that's a real special thing for him. Our crew in there was cognizant of that and very excited for him, because he's just such a quality person.”
Navarreto, who is from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, but attended Arlington Country Day School in Jacksonville, Fla., began his professional career in 2013 after the Twins selected him in the sixth round of the MLB Draft. He remained in their system until the Yankees purchased his contract in July ’19. That winter, Navarreto signed as a Minor League free agent with the Marlins.
Seven hundred and forty-two Minor League games and 2,755 plate appearances across 12 seasons.
What motivated Navarreto to stick with it after he got a taste in 2020? God and his son, D’Brian, who was born in '21.
“I feel he was the one who [kept] me here,” Navarreto said. “I'm always trying to, like, be there for him, and also I want him to see me play baseball, and he's watching me now at this level. It's so emotional for me. Now that I have a son, I can say to him that I had a homer in the big leagues when he starts growing up.”
While Navarreto’s family wasn’t in attendance -- they were scheduled to arrive on Saturday -- they were watching on TV.
“It was special,” Navarreto said. “It was an amazing moment for me and for my family as well. It's been a long road, and I didn't take it for granted, and I just tried to enjoy the moment the more that I can, and it happens. So, so happy, not only for me, I feel like for my family that have been there for me in all my career.
“[They] mean a lot. There were a couple times that as a human being you start to expect that you're not going to make it, but that's when the family come and they just support you and give you all the strength to be here. I'm just grateful with God because of the family he gave me. I dedicate this to them.”