CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Yan Gomes stepped to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday and was introduced as a 2018 American League All-Star, his first career selection to the Midsummer Classic.
If the news came as a surprise to Cleveland Indians fans at Progressive Field, it came as a complete shock to Gomes himself. The seven-year veteran had no idea he was being added to the roster prior to walking out to take his swings.
Manager Terry Francona told Gomes during a pitching change in the eighth inning that he was "going to have a good at bat" in the ninth.
"I thought it was something completely different," Gomes said. "I thought he had a vision or something."
Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman retired Gomes on three pitches, but the Tribe catcher characterized it as his "happiest strikeout."
"I don't think I've ever been that emotional in an at-bat before," Gomes said. "I'm not going to lie, it was kind of hard to get back in the box. I tried to focus in there, but it didn't quite work out."
Gomes, hitting .251 with 10 home runs and 31 RBI entering Saturday's contest, was named to the squad after Tampa Bay's Wilson Ramos, the elected starter, was ruled out due to a hamstring injury suffered against Minnesota. Kansas City's Salvador Perez is the other AL catcher and likely starter.
He entered play Saturday with the third-highest OPS among American League catchers (.756) and has thrown out 31.6 percent (12-for-38) of potential base stealers this season.
"We kind of erupted in (the clubhouse) as if we just tied the game when we saw it," starting pitcher Mike Clevinger said. "That speaks volumes for what he's done for not just me, but every pitcher in here. Just being a good teammate all-around and what he brings to the table, especially putting up with me and TB (Trevor Bauer) has gotta be worth something."
Gomes' addition brings the total number of Indians All-Stars to six, tying Houston for the most players heading to Washington D.C. for the July 17 game. He joins Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Michael Brantley, Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer on the A.L. roster. It's the most All-Stars the team has had in one season since 1999.
He becomes the first Indians catcher selected for the game since Victor Martinez in 2009 and the first Brazilian-born player ever named an All-Star.