Meet Omar Vizquel: Toronto’s “Grey” Jay

With the Toronto Blue Jays season set to get underway today in Cleveland, Zoomermag will be focusing its attention on Omar Vizquel. Why so much attention to a light-hitting utility player? Because Vizquel, a slick-fielding shortstop from Venezuela, turns 45 this month, a rare Zoomer-aged player who has somehow managed to survive in a game dominated by 20-somethings. Despite the fact he’ll be starting his 24th season in the big leagues, Vizquel displayed a refreshingly rookie-like joy for the game: “I think this is one of the most exciting moments that I had in a long time,” he said when told he’d made the team. Alex Anthopolous, the  Jays’ general manager (who, by the way, is ten years younger than Vizquel) hopes the veteran’s enthusiasm and experience will rub off on the many younger players on the Jays’ roster. “He knows how to carry himself, and the fact that he’s still in the shape he’s in at this age and the fact that he’s still playing tells you a lot about him and how you have a long career.”

Click here for a look at the statistics Vizquel has built up over his lengthy career.

-Peter Muggeridge