• Javier Báez had a spectacular defensive game for the Detroit Tigers in their 5-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
• Báez made a “Superman” catch in center field, doubling off a runner at first base.
• He also hit a home run, his third in three games, and made another key defensive play in the ninth inning.

TORONTO — Just when you think that Javier Báez can’t top himself.

Just when you think: OK, there’s no way he has more magic inside that glove. Or maybe, inside his heart.

Well, he does something else. He tops himself — this time, making a spectacular “Superman”-style catch, adding yet another layer to this amazing comeback story. Look, it’s a bird … it’s a plane … nope, it’s just “El Mago” doing his thing.

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“How special he’s been,” Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty said with pure admiration after Báez made play after play, in big moment after big moment, in a 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on May 16. “It’s awesome.”

The first moment happened in the second inning. Toronto’s Addison Barger was on first after a Flaherty walk and Nathan Lukes drilled a ball into the right-center gap.

You could almost see Barger thinking: Oh, I might score. At the very least, I might end up on third.

But Baez made another amazing, jaw-dropping diving catch. He looked like Superman, flying through the air, his body parallel to the ground as he snagged the ball. Then, he made it even better. He sprang up and fired a perfect throw to Spencer Torkelson at first base, easily doubling Barger off.

El Mago.

The Magician — two for the price of one.

End of the inning.

Celebrate 125 seasons of Tigers magic!

“I saw him break and he had a pretty perfect angle at it,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “Then the layout, and I might be equally as impressed with the throw, just to be able to catch his breath for a second and get up and throw a one-hopper for the double play — impactful play, very big at the point of the game, to be able to end the inning, keep Jack’s pitch count down and kind of demoralize the other side.”

You almost forget that, for this converted Gold Glove shortstop, this was just his 22^nd game in center in the big leagues and he was out there, in the words of Hinch, showing “his athleticism in center field at a field he’s never played center field — pretty awesome stuff.”

The route was perfect. The read was perfect. The jump? Yeah, simply perfect. Báez caught the ball 340 feet from home plate and then he had the instincts to come up firing. Which is the only part that was not really surprising. Because he’s the most instinctual player on this team.

“I was surprised with the catch, honestly,” Báez said. “As soon as I caught it, I saw he was kind of flying. So I kind of made sure that it was a good throw.”

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He kind of shrugged. It’s like he surprises himself sometimes. Like the magician doesn’t know the tricks until he pulls the magic from the hat.

But that moment did so many things for the Tigers.

First of all, he single-handedly saved a seriously stressful moment for Flaherty. At worst, the Blue Jays would have had runners on second and third with one out. And it saved pitches on Flaherty’s arm.

“I want to talk about Javy,” Flaherty said, after earning an encouraging outing. “He comes here and struggles for two years. But it just it goes to show that you can’t write guys off or give up on guys, especially a guy like that, who is as talented as anybody who has probably ever played this game.”

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Yes, Flaherty was thankful for Báez. But it resonated far deeper than that. Flaherty completely appreciates how Báez has gone through the fire and come out the other side, finding the magic again.

“It’s in there, it doesn’t just go away,” Flaherty said.

Flaherty appreciates everything about Báez : the work he’s done behind the scenes and the adjustments he’s made and how he has embraced playing center. “I’m so happy for him, and it’s awesome to see,” Flaherty said. “It’s also a testament to who he is and how much work he’s put behind everything — no matter who wants to try to write you off, or what they have to say.”

Hinch wants his players to find a way to contribute to a win, either at the plate or in the field. And Báez certainly did that and more.

Because in the top of the eighth, the game was getting tight after the Blue Jays had pulled to 4-3.

But there is something important we are learning about Báez. Something fans in other places already knew: The bigger the moment, the better Báez plays. And he hit a 95 mph fastball, crushing it 408 feet to left-center for a home run, his third in three games and his sixth this season — as many as he had all of last year.

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“He’s swung the bat pretty well to the pull side,” Hinch said. “He’s getting pitches to hit and we’ve always told him, or we’re telling him, that don’t you have to be perfect. Get a pitch to hit and and have a plan. He did and he didn’t miss.”

But Báez wasn’t done.

There was one final defensive play.

In the bottom of the ninth, with two outs, Myles Straw hit a sinking liner to center field. But Báez came flying up, trying to catch it. He couldn’t get there in time. But more importantly, he didn’t let it get past him because the tying run was on base.

“If the ball gets past them, we’re probably still playing,” Hinch said.

And so, this amazing, magical season continues for Báez. He entered this game with a .309 batting average in 130 plate appearances — just a few short of the 140 currently required to qualify for the batting title. Still, he was ninth in average and tied for ninth with 27 RBIs. That was thanks to a 15-game stretch in which he hit .368 (21-for-57) with five homers, 15 runs and 23 RBIs for a 1.179 OPS since April 26. And then he homered against the Blue Jays.

Put another way: He’s just raking.

“It feels great, honestly,” Báez said, “to give something to the team.”

That’s not a throwaway line. It’s the essence of who he is. This is a magician who performs for others, not for himself.

Everything is for the team. For everyone else.

And that is why the better this team plays, the bigger the moment, the more magic comes out of Báez.

Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff.

Order your copy of “Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!” by the Free Press at Tigers125.PictorialBook.com.

MILWAUKEE — Thursday night’s storm sparked more than 250 emergency storm response calls in Milwaukee, according to the Milwaukee Department of Public Works.

Most of the calls, 70 percent, stemmed from the city’s south side.

DPW crews spent hours clearing a downed tree at West Arthur Avenue and South 16th Street on Friday.

Forestry crews worked through the night. DPW states that additional resources are being dedicated to the south side due to the high impact.

In the Riverwest neighborhood, a massive tree toppled between homes near Locust and Humboldt. The downed tree forced a deck out of the ground and damaged part of The Tracks Tavern and Grill.

“Surprised I didn’t hear it,” Joey White told TMJ4.

White lives in the home where the deck was lifted out of the ground. He says the storm seemed loud but did not suspect the damage it was causing locally.

White did not know the tree behind his place was uprooted until the landlord contacted him. Both are grateful no one was hurt.

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Milwaukee DPW: Thursday storm sparked 250+ emergency storm response calls

“I just went inside, and all of a sudden massive wind and rain, and a little hail came down,” neighbor Robert Koconis said. “Like 20 minutes it was gone. The sky started to clear. It was pretty wild.”

In Greendale, Ethan Schenzel shared photos of a tree by his home that shattered after he said it was hit by lightning. Schenzel said that some debris flew over the house and landed in the backyard.

TMJ4

Milwaukee DPW anticipates crews will continue storm cleanup over the weekend.

You can report an issue to DPW by calling (414) 286-CITY. You can also make reports on the city’s website or the MKEMobile app.

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MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Artists say Quincy Street is a special place with unique character and a charming vibe.

Cause for concern

What we know:

For Eddie Phillips, turning wood into furniture is a form of artistic expression, but he is worried a road reconstruction project could have a negative impact on the street his woodworking shop calls home.

“I think everybody wants the reconstruction to happen. It’s the how it’s going to happen,” said Philips, who owns Boom Island Woodworking.

From manufacturers to makers

The backstory:

The City of Minneapolis is planning to rebuild several streets in an industrial area of northeast called Logan Park. That includes several blocks of  Quincy Street, an uneven brick road, which is more than 100 years old.

But some of the artists who moved in after being displaced by development in the North Loop are concerned the project will get rid of the historic charm of the area and lay the groundwork for gentrification, which could force them to move again.

“Quincy has seen a lot of change in the last 15 years and I think there is a concern that we could be pushed out,” said Phillips.

City officials say the street doesn’t have proper drainage and many spots have missing sidewalks and pedestrian ramps, which make the area hard to navigate, especially for people with disabilities.

But some artists believe a lengthy construction project could make it hard to hold events like Art-A-Whirl for a couple of years and limit access to the buildings for both the artists and the general public.

“We want the city to engage with this as a partner and help preserve, establish, and foster the arts community,” said Jono Query, who owns the Q.arma Building on Quincy. 

No final plan yet

What they’re saying:

Ultimately, Phillips hopes the project lays the foundation for the heart of the arts district for the next 50 years.

“We need to be able to get deliveries, We need parking for our customers, but you know at the same time, we want the arts district to be accessible and walkable as well,” said Phillips.

The city is still gathering input from the public about Quincy Street and the other streets involved in this reconstruction project. 

That project is scheduled to begin in April of next year.