In a rare circumstance, Austin Hedges received the kind of treatment normally reserved for a lineup's best hitters in a moment he greatly appreciated.
CLEVELAND — A sound not heard too often reverberated around Progressive Field the night of Aug. 14. Perhaps that's why it was so appreciated.
During the seventh inning of the Guardians' 9-4 win over the Miami Marlins, veteran catcher Austin Hedges stepped to the plate with a chance to extend Cleveland's lead. Hedges isn't exactly known for his hitting, to put it lightly. He knows he won't be mistaken for Jose Ramirez anytime soon.
His reputation, instead, is of a defense-first catcher who also happens to genuinely be as valuable of a clubhouse presence as anyone in the league. But known to be a slugger, he is not.
Except, he had already notched a rare multi-hit game from the No. 9 spot in the lineup. And, as he faced Marlins reliever Valente Bellozo with a chance to again add some offensive production, Guardians fans began chanting in unison "Hedgie! Hedgie! Hedgie!"
For a few moments, Hedges did receive some Ramirez-like treatment. It was unexpected, and it was genuine.
"Yeah, that hasn't happened too often," Hedges said of hearing the chant during the at-bat. "That was awesome. I mean, to feel the love from these fans, it's special. We've got such good fans and I love all of them, and they support us every single day.
"I haven't been the best in the batter's box, and for them to pick me up there and give me a little extra motivation to try and get the job done, little moments like that are things I'll never forget."
Hedges did, in fact, get the job done. He lined a ball to left-center that was caught on a nice play by center fielder Jakob Marsee. It didn't drop as a hit, but it did score the runner from third as a sacrifice fly.
Hedges finished the game 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
"It's always a cool thing. I feel like you always hear them cheer for people, but for a whole stadium to chant someone's name in unison, it's definitely a different feeling, especially in a game in the middle of August," said Tanner Bibee, who started the Aug. 14 game. "I think that's kind of what separates our fans from a lot of fans."
Austin Hedges helps Guardians beat the Marlins
Hedges is a self-aware player. He's known for years his hitting isn't the main thing that will keep him in the big leagues as his career progresses. So, a few seasons ago, he leaned into a mentorship role and has done his best to maintain some elite defensive play behind the plate.
He was also credited, along with manager Stephen Vogt, with cultivating the type of clubhouse culture and mindset that helped power the Guardians to a 92-win season and the ALCS last year. Though it's not for a lack of effort, Hedge's batting average (an ugly .143) has left much to be desired. He knows that, and he's done everything he can to add value elsewhere, whether it be in quantifiable ways that show up in the box score or not.
But for a night, Hedges had the home crowd chanting his name at the plate for his offense.
"It's so cool. We love our fans," Vogt said. "I love when they recognize when a guy's having a good night or somebody's really going well, or maybe they [the players] need them behind him. And I think for Hedgie, he's been working tremendously hard all year. He always does [work hard] on his offense.
"He was out yesterday working on the field early … It's really nice to put in a day of work like that and then go out and have a game like he did."
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians fans chant for veteran catcher Austin Hedges
Category: Baseball
