‘Freakish talent’ put Vlad at Cooperstown’s doorstep

His first Major League home run said a lot about Vladimir Guerrero — whose pure talent on a baseball field was as overflowing as it was hard to explain. He will be up for Hall of Fame consideration for the first time in 2017.

It was Sept. 21, 1996, at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Guerrero was a 6-foot-3, 200-pound, 21-year-old rookie outfielder for the Expos in his third Major League game. He rocketed to the big leagues from Double-A Harrisburg, where he had toyed with pitchers while generating story upon story about his vicious right-handed swing, deer-like speed and devastating throwing arm from right field.

It was not an easy task in the eighth inning of that game. The Expos were playing the defending World Series champion Braves, losing, 5-3, with one out in the ninth inning. Guerrero was set to face Atlanta closer Mark Wohlers, a righty who threw upwards of 100 mph and was in the midst of an All-Star season that saw him post 100 strikeouts in 77 1/3 innings and compile 39 saves.

Atlanta broadcaster Don Sutton watched with surprise as Guerrero stepped into the box without batting gloves as he got ready to hit.

“Here’s a kid coming in against the best closer in the league and you’re only down by two,” Sutton said. “This is a white flag.”

Guerrero didn’t waste much time proving Sutton wrong, beginning a lengthy career that would be defined by spectacular feats, memorable relationships and quiet grace. He will now be put to the game’s ultimate test: worthiness for enshrinement in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Guerrero swung at Wohlers’ first pitch, a dastardly heater well off the outside corner, and hammered it over the right-field fence.

“Like I said,” Sutton observed, “it’s a brilliant move.”

Brilliant is the perfect word to describe Guerrero’s five-tool ability and the quality that might ultimately get him into the Hall. He finished his career with a line of .318/.379/.553. He hit 449 home runs and drove in 1,496 runs. He had 2,590 …

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