Taylor appreciative of "special" ovation from fans in return to D.C.

As he stepped to the plate in the top of the second Monday afternoon and heard the sustained applause from the sellout crowd at Nationals Park, Michael A. Taylor sheepishly tried to contemplate the appropriate way to respond.

“It’s not something I’ve ever experienced before,” the Pirates center fielder said. “I honestly didn’t know what to do.”

After a few seconds, as the cheer grew louder and many in the crowd of 40,405 rose to their feet, Taylor finally gave a little wave, then stepped out of the batter’s box and doffed his helmet. No one who followed his career here in D.C. could’ve been surprised by the crowd’s enthusiasm or the outfielder’s reluctance to make a big deal out of the moment.

A fan favorite for the majority of his seven seasons with the Nationals, Taylor has never been one to actively seek the spotlight. His childlike facial expressions became memes. His soft-spoken words and genteel demeanor were unique in a clubhouse full of more boisterous teammates.

This, though, was Taylor’s first time back on South Capitol Street with fans in attendance since the 2019 World Series. Though he still played here in 2020, he did so in front of cardboard cutouts. By the time fans were allowed back in the park in 2021, he had moved on to the Royals.

Taylor won a Gold Glove Award his first of two seasons in Kansas City. He hit a career-high 21 homers last season with the Twins. But come March, the 33-year-old still found himself unemployed, with only weeks to go before Opening Day.

Taylor tried to make the most of the situation, relishing the time he could spend with his 2-year-old daughter and his wife, who is due to give birth to another child this summer. When the Pirates finally came calling, though, he jumped at the offer. And two weeks later, he’s starting in center field and performing well for his new team, going 9-for-21 with six runs and six RBIs through Pittsburgh’s first six games.

“It was difficult. I tried to make the best of it,” he said of his longer-than-hoped free agency. “I was given time at home that a lot of guys don’t have the opportunity to get, so I enjoyed that time with my family and my daughter. But at the same time, I missed being out there and being on the field with the guys. To land in this situation, I feel very fortunate the way things shaked out.”

Taylor faced the Nationals last season in Minnesota, but this is his first trip back to D.C. since 2020. Walking into the park Monday, he felt both like nothing and everything had changed.

“The drive in from the hotel, seeing the area, it kind of felt like it was just yesterday I was here,” he said. “But then thinking back, it has been a few years. And you look at the team, you see how much that’s changed. The staff, how much that’s changed. So there’s certain things that you realize, wow, it has been a while.”

Taylor certainly felt right at home when he was introduced as a member of the Pirates lineup and received a nice ovation as he made his way down the third base line. And the bigger ovation was still to come in the bottom of the second when he came up to bat.

Little did Taylor know that Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton had already notified plate umpire Andy Fletcher about the possibility of an ovation from the home crowd. Because of that, Fletcher made sure to keep the pitch clock off before Taylor’s at-bat and allow the scene to play out organically.

“It was very special,” Taylor said. “Just being back here is already special. And then to get that kind of reception, it was really nice. I really appreciated that.”