Former Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Yasiel Puig has made his debut in the Canadian Baseball League with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 35-year-old, who once played under a $42 million contract, is facing a sentencing in Los Angeles on May 26.
Puig’s First Game With Toronto Maple Leafs
Puig’s first game was in the Maple Leafs’ season opener. The game took place on a spring Sunday afternoon. The ballpark was filled with a few hundred people at Dominico Field. Spectators watched from blankets on a steep hill behind home plate and along the foul lines.
The atmosphere was amateur. Cheers from a 12-year-old AA team on an adjacent field bled into Puig’s introduction.
The game announcer introduced “Yas-iel Puuu-eeg” to scattered cheers and applause. A recording of a familiar organ refrain played over the park speakers.
A Home Run and a Looming Sentence
Puig hit a home run in his first at-bat. The ball sailed over the left-field fence, next to the skateboard park. Cheers erupted from the hill as Puig trotted the bases.
Before the home run, two spectators watched from the fence along third base. One man said to enjoy it while it lasts. The other man called Puig a “wild card”.
Puig faces sentencing in Los Angeles after being found guilty of obstructing justice and making false statements in a gambling investigation. He could face up to 15 years in prison.
New Fans Drawn to the Game
Connor Osborne and Madeline Thesariteff watched the game. They were new to the sport, having been drawn in by a Blue Jays’ World Series run last October.
Puig has two weeks before his sentencing in Los Angeles.