Canadian rookie Denzel Clarke's jaw-dropping catch impresses Varsho, family and friends at Rogers Centre
Photo credit: https://www.sportingnews.com/ca/mlb/
Athletics rookie Denzel Clarke made a 'Varsho like catch' at Rogers Centre on Friday night impressing all 36,951 Toronto Blue Jays fans including his family and friends in attendance who witnessed it.
This series between the Athletics and the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre is doubling as an Appreciation Series for Toronto native Denzel Clarke, who expects between 150-200 friends and family members in the same dome he'd once cheered for the likes of Aaron Hill, J.P. Arencibia and Jose Bautista.
According to Statcast, Clarke covered 86 feet at a speed of 25.3 feet per second to make the catch at the wall.
An unbelievable homecoming moment for Denzel Clarke.
Canadian rookie Denzel Clarke's jaw-dropping catch impresses Varsho, family and friends at Rogers Centre
While Clarke once drew inspiration from those Blue Jays, this time it was his turn to impress the home team.
When Clarke robbed Kirk in the fourth inning, Gold Glove centerfielder Daulton Varsho was watching from the on deck circle as the 6-foot-4 former fourth-round pick scaled the wall.
«I was pretty impressed,» Varsho told Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson Smith. «He's a massive human so he probably could have jumped and caught it, but him sticking his foot in that wall was very impressive.»
Like Varsho, Blue Jays manager John Schneider was impressed by the athleticism Clarke showed off Friday.
«That's a hell of a catch,» Schneider said. «Young dude, exciting. You can see where there's a lot of tools there. And cool for him to come back home and do that. Glad that didn't beat us, but I'm sure it's cool for him and his family, his friends.»
Just seven games into his big-league career, Clarke still has a lot to learn. He collected just one hit in his first 19 at-bats before Friday, striking out 15 times. But after drawing a walk and adding two hits against the Blue Jays, he finally has some momentum at the plate - and it's abundantly clear he has the skills to be an elite defender in center.
«They're always going to bring the energy, they're always going to bring a great fan base,» Clarke said. «It's our job to punch back whenever we can.»
Do you think Toronto native Denzel Clarke has what it takes to remain an everyday player at the MLB level?
Tell us what you think in our poll below.
Source: Sportsnet
| POLL | ||
MAI 31 | 158 ANSWERS Canadian rookie Denzel Clarke's jaw-dropping catch impresses Varsho, family and friends at Rogers Centre Do you think Toronto native Denzel Clarke has what it takes to remain an everyday player at the MLB level? | ||
| Yes | 101 | 63.9 % |
| No | 17 | 10.8 % |
| Too early to tell | 40 | 25.3 % |
| List of polls | ||