Jorge Alfaro displays tough-guy mentality after scary dugout spill in Marlins’ spring opener

The Marlins lost their first spring game.

But they may have gained a never-quit attitude in the process thanks to the gritty efforts of new catcher Jorge Alfaro.

“There’s a reason they call him ‘Bear,’” said pitcher Austin Brice.

Alfaro crashed hard into the dugout railing while chasing a foul pop, tumbled down the dugout steps, but was adamant in his refusal to come out of an otherwise meaningless spring game and head to the training room for treatment.

His right knee was throbbing in pain. No matter.

“I wanted to show everyone that all of us are going to give 100 percent,” Alfaro said. “I wanted to show everybody that we are here to compete and win. We are going out to win everyday.”

But it was only a spring training game.

“It doesn’t matter,” Alfaro said. “It’s a game. We have to win.”

The Marlins lost 11-1 to the Cardinals in their first exhibition, as St. Louis went to town on relievers R.J. Alvarez and Brett Graves, scoring five runs off each. Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara made a nice impression, delivering two scoreless innings in which he struck out three.

Otherwise, Alfaro’s toughness was one of the few highlights for the Marlins, who managed only two hits.

The Marlins acquired him from the Phillies just before spring training in the J.T. Realmuto trade and it didn’t take long for him to show them what they got.

It was in the bottom of the third, with Brice on the mound, when Alfaro broke toward the dugout on Jedd Gyorko’s foul ball. But as he reached up to make the grab, he couldn’t slow his momentum and struck a railing pole. New first base coach Trey Hillman tried to catch the 225-lb. catcher, but to no avail.

Alfaro fell down the steps.

“Anytime you see somebody hit something that hard, it’s never good,” Brice said. “I saw somebody that was going to come out of the game. It wasn’t pretty.”

Brice, figuring Alfaro was finished for the day, even began talking to the backup catchers to go over signs and pitch sequences.

Alfaro remained in the dugout for a couple of minutes, trying to gather his breath and giving the pain in his right knee time to subside. Marlins coaches told him he was coming out.

But Alfaro would have nothing of it and demanded to stay in.

“They decided to take me out,” Alfaro said. “But I always like to finish what I start.”

Brice was amazed.

“He got back out there and said ‘Let’s go,’” Brice said. “The fact that he got back up and got out on the field after that, that speaks multiple volumes about his character. He wants to be on the field. That’s good stuff.”

NOTES: Michael Jordan, who has a small ownership interest in the Marlins, was on hand Saturday, sitting with Marlins CEO Derek Jeter in one of the stadium suite boxes....Victor Victor Mesa made his Marlins debut, grounding to third in his only at bat. The Marlins signed the Cuban outfielder in October for $5.25 million....Manager Don Mattingly said Curtis Granderson would get his first start on Tuesday while Martin Prado is tentatively scheduled to see his first action on Thursday.

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This story was originally published February 23, 2019 at 4:47 PM.

Clark Spencer

Miami Herald

Clark Spencer is one of the nation’s most experienced baseball writers and has covered the Miami Marlins since 1999. He is past-president of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Along with baseball, Spencer has also covered the Summer and Winter Olympics, NBA Finals, NCAA Final Four, College Football Playoffs and Triple Crown.