DETROIT -- Javier Báez has made a career out of highlight plays and displays of athleticism. On Tuesday, he needed one just to contort himself and wiggle through the stack of balloons in front of his locker to get his gear on and get ready for the Tigers’ series opener against the Pirates.
“It was like a little maze,” he joked.
The balloons, a gift from his wife, included light-up balloons, giant balloons, strings of smaller balloons, even balloons tied around balloons. The biggest balloons were in the form of the No. 10.
It clearly wasn’t for his birthday -- that’s in December -- nor for his jersey number or a statistical milestone. But it was a sign of age and greatness nonetheless. Báez reached 10 years of Major League service time, a milestone that means plenty for those who have put on a big league uniform.
Báez made his MLB debut with the Cubs on Aug. 5, 2014, at Coors Field, where his 12th-inning home run beat the Rockies. After his game-tying home run Tuesday, the first of two homers for him in a 7-3 win over the Pirates at Comerica Park, he thought back to that first homer in his debut.
“I had a big family coming to Colorado,” he recalled. “I didn’t think I was going to hit a homer, or a hit, because I was honestly really excited to be in the big leagues. I swing hard, so that day, I was swinging harder.”
The swings became harder and more majestic over the years, but the hits became more difficult. After he batted .184 last year leading into season-ending hip surgery, getting to Tuesday’s milestone wasn’t guaranteed.
Báez didn’t limp into 10 years. Tuesday continued his best offensive season since 2021, the year before he signed with the Tigers.
“His story in Detroit is not over,” manager A.J. Hinch said, “but it’s been written a couple of different ways. He came in as a high-profile [free agent], big contract, part of this signal that there were better times ahead. And he’s had to ride a pretty big roller coaster in his time here, and now he’s contributing to a good team, doing a lot of different things for us and being that same joyful young guy behind the scenes.”
Báez had to watch last summer as the Tigers made their run to the postesason. Now, with his hip healthy and his swing back in form, he’s playing a crucial role in helping the Tigers build on baseball’s best record.
“It feels great to be here,” he said. “Been a long way, a lot of ups and downs. In this game, there are a lot of ups and downs. I’ve been down many times; never [let it] get [in] my head. I kept working, and I’ll keep working 'til the last day.
“I’m honestly impressed with the way I’m still doing this; I feel blessed. My kids are big baseball fans, and I have to do the best for them.”
On a night when the Tigers homered four times off of Pittsburgh’s pitching staff, Báez was responsible for half of them. He also made a sno-cone catch of a throw from catcher Dillon Dingler to catch Alexander Canario trying to steal second, following Canario’s two-run single in the third inning to give the Pirates a 3-2 lead.
Pittsburgh starter Bailey Falter took the lead and rolled for a while, retiring eight batters in a row after Báez singled in the second inning. Báez came back up to lead off the fifth and turned on a curveball, sending it 407 feet to the back of the Pirates' bullpen in left-center field.
Wenceel Pérez, who hit a two-run homer to open Detroit’s scoring in the second inning, put the Tigers in front with an RBI triple to the fence in right-center in the sixth. Báez provided an insurance tally with a 410-foot drive to the left-field seats off a sweeper from reliever Carmen Mlodzinski. It marked his second two-homer game of the season, and the 12th multi-homer game of his career.
“It's always been in there,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “He's a dynamic player and he got us twice tonight.”
Much like his first game, Báez got to celebrate with family at the park. His family now includes his two young sons, who stuck around after the game to take batting practice in the cages with their dad.
“After every game, my oldest kid tells me what I didn’t do right,” he said. “He tells me that I didn’t put my leg out on my stance and a lot of things. It’s just funny, the way they see the game. Just being there mentally for them, going deep in conversation with my kids, it’s really fun.”