Blue Jays' lineup adds to HOF lineage
The Blue Jays already had one son of a Hall of Famer in their lineup. On Friday, they made it two -- and made some history in the process.
Toronto officially called up infielder Cavan Biggio on Friday, selecting the contract of their No. 9 prospect from Triple-A Buffalo. The son of longtime Astros star Craig Biggio batted eighth and played second base in the series opener against the Padres at Rogers Centre, which the Blue Jays lost, 6-3.
Batting second in the same lineup was third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., son of Vladimir Guerrero, who was enshrined in Cooperstown last year, three years after Biggio. The younger Guerrero arrived in the Majors on April 26, and after a slow start, baseball's top prospect has been swinging a hot bat over the past two weeks. But it was an off night for the duo as Biggio went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts and Guerrero went 0-for-4.
Now that Biggio and Guerrero are together in Toronto, they have become the first pair of teammates who are both sons of Hall of Famers, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
While Biggio and Guerrero are just getting started in the Majors, they have played together previously in Toronto’s Minor League system, which just so happens to be full of prospects with famous baseball names.
The organization’s No. 2 prospect behind Guerrero is shortstop Bo Bichette, who also was on the fast track toward the Majors before breaking his left hand in April. Bichette is the son of Dante Bichette, a four-time All-Star over 14 seasons, most notably with the Rockies.
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Meanwhile, the Blue Jays’ No. 16 prospect is Griffin Conine, the son of Jeff Conine, who won a pair of World Series rings over 17 big league seasons. Kacy Clemens, son of pitching legend Roger Clemens, also plays in the Toronto system. Infielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who has spent time with the Blue Jays in both of the past two seasons, is not only the younger brother of the Astros’ Yuli Gurriel, but also the son of Lourdes Gurriel Sr., a major figure in Cuban baseball.