You stay classy, Omar

This is why Omar Vizquel is a class act: During his pregame news conference, a Cleveland reporter asked if he knew the hat he would wear if he enters the Hall of Fame. Now, it’s pretty obvious he would wear an Indians cap. He spent 11 seasons here, played on six playoff teams, won eight of his 11 Gold Gloves here, etc.

Omar could have said, “The Indians, of course,” and nobody would think he was being disrespectful to anyone. But …

Omar gave an answer in which he acknowledged the Seattle Mariners for giving him a chance to reach the major leagues and also the Giants for giving him an opportunity to finish his career. He mentioned how well the Giants organization has treated him. And of course, he acknowledged all the great moments that he enjoyed in Cleveland.

“It’s too bad that two of them have to be left out like that,” he said.

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You could tell it wasn’t a fabricated answer. That’s the way he felt. You stay classy, Omar.

I thought some of you might enjoy hearing more of Omar’s answers from his pre- and post-game interviews:

Q: What is your relationship like with the fans here?
A: Well, the relationship with the fans in Cleveland is a little different. People know about the game and know a little too much about you and your life. You are part of the community. They love their team. Through clinics and other things, you connect with a lot of people who live around here. I remember there was a pep rally for us (in 1995) with 45,000 people and (former outfielder) Wayne Kirby had to get me off the microphone. I think that was the start of my relationship with the fans.

Q: What do you think the feeling will be like when you step on the field?
(Vizquel mentioned his farewell tour of the Venezuelan League this past winter.)
A: When I played my last game in Caracas, I can’t describe the feeling when the last out is made. Even though you prepare for the moment, you can’t really be ready. There is a big lump in your throat an your heart is beating really fast. I think that will happen tonight. I’ll try to be prepared for it a little better.

Q: What would you tell the fans?
A: Well, don’t throw any oranges or bottles. (Laughter) I want to tell them I’m feeling really psyched to be in this town where I grew up and became an established baseball player. I have a lot of great memories and I wish them well. Not tonight, though.

Q: How long do you want to keep playing?
A: t is a question I’m asking myself. I’m going through a lot of issues. One day I’m feeling fine and the next I can barely play my game. I feel young inside. I feel I can still play. But I have to show it on the field.

Q: Would you come back to Cleveland as a coach or instructor?
A: I want to be manager of a team. Of course I’m not going to discard the possibility to come back here or go to any other team. After you retire, you don’t know where life will take you. It would be great. (No, he said he wouldn’t coach in the minor leagues.) I’ve been managing the game on my own from shortstop. You think about it: who’s coming it, what’s going to happen. I don’t think it’d take too long.

Here’s what he said after the game:

Q: What was it like?
A: It was hard because I wasn’t expecting everybody to get up and give me that welcome. It was unbelievable. I’ve never been in that situation where I felt like the center of attention and it was really emotional. I never expected it to be like that. I want to thank the fans for that an the Cleveland Indians for the preview. It was pretty cool. It means a lot in my career

Q: Could it have gone any better?
A: Yes, I could have gotten two hits today! I came up with runners on first and second and hit a ground ball. The second at-bat I had guys on and didn’t do anything. So yes, it could have been better.

Q: What did you think as you watched the video tribute with all your highlight plays?
A: Well yeah, just taking a look at some of those plays I made on the scoreboard, it was hard to believe I made all those plays. I was looking at the video with Burriss, the other shortstop, and I said, `Wow, those are pretty hard plays to make.’ And sometimes you can’t explain it in words when you see it on the video.

Andrew Baggarly

Andrew Baggarly has witnessed and documented the most eventful era in San Francisco Giants baseball history, having covered the team since 2004 for th​ree major media outlets including the San Jose Mercury News and the Oakland Tribune​. This will be his 20th season as a baseball writer.
​Baggarly is the author of the bestselling book, A Band of Misfits: Tales of the 2010 San Francisco Giants. A second title, Giant Splash, is due to be published by Triumph Books in April 2015.
Baggarly’s other notable life accomplishments include running as the Bratwurst in the Milwaukee Sausage Race and becoming a three-time Jeopardy! champion.

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what a class act omar…i’m very conflicted with him…it’s pretty obvious that he is a shell of himself at the plate, but he can still contribute in so many different ways, defensively or in the clubhouse. it is also obvious that his teammates love the guy.