The Jon Singleton Home Run Becomes an Incredible Family Found Story Amid a Justin Verlander Jersey Run and a Lost Shohei

Jon Singleton allows himself a moment to think about it. Several moments actually. To let it settle in. To realize how far he’s come — and maybe even mull over what it all means. Singleton might not know that he’s authored one of the great stories in Major League Baseball’s long history. It’s hard to digest the weight of something like that.

But he knows what it means to him. To his wife Linzy Singleton and his two kids Maisyn and Steele, who might not understand it all today but will someday.

“Yeah, definitely,” Singleton says after I ask if he allows himself a moment to think about his long, hard journey after hitting his hitting his first Major League home run in eight years and 13 days. “All throughout the game. Kind of sit back, think about how things are going today. How the game’s going. Everything really. . .”

Singleton hits that home run for the Houston Astros, the team that signed him to that $10 million, five year contract before he ever took a Major League at-bat, a contract that set his future family up for life but invited much criticism. The team he got suspended from for a third time for violating MLB’s drug policy (reportedly for marijuana use, which wouldn’t even be a penalized today), leading to his release.

It comes in Houston’s 11-3 romp over the Shohei Ohtani free-falling Los Angeles Angels, in the first home start of future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander’s own improbable Astros return. But Jon Singleton’s moment is bigger than all that. It’s a storybook that validates the comeback from a sometimes dark and depressed fall. It’s about a man who found himself first, found his own joy, found a family and then made the most of his moment.

You can see that in Linzy Singleton’s joyful retweet of a clip of Singleton’s second home run — yes, there are two and five RBI — with the simple caption: “Maisyn & Steele’s daddy!”

https://twitter.com/linzyrother/status/1690170591196639232

What’s better than that?

Jon Singleton’s mouth drops open earlier as he watches his first home run in eight years soar into the air and towards the stands. It almost looks like Singleton cannot quite believe it either. At least not until the home run (which is never really in doubt) flies over the wall. Maybe, he needs it see it with his own two eyes. Only, not really.

Singleton says later in the clubhouse that he knows the ball is gone from the moment he hits it. Before his bat flip even. “Yeah, yeah,” he answers when someone asks if he knows it’s a homer on contact. This tale doesn’t need any embellishing. This grown man doesn’t need to tell stories anymore.

Drought over. Second life rolling. Why would he stop now?

“All throughout the game. Kind of sit back, think about how things are going today. How the game’s going. Everything really. . .” — Jon Singleton on taking a moment.

Except when you’ve been through what Jonathan Singleton has been through, which includes bouts with depression and a long stint out of baseball entirely, you know that appreciating the moments matter. Something like this matters. Not for the Major League history aspect of it. Overcoming the longest home run drought by a position player since Rafael Belliard, a very light-hitting infielder, went 10 years and 144 days between home runs isn’t what matters.

Not really. Having people you love to celebrate it with is what truly counts. The now 31-year-old Jon Singleton’s lived more than enough life to understand that now.

“My wife and two kids are here so it’s great to have them around,” Singleton says. “It’s always nice to have a life outside of playing.”

Jon Singleton, former MLB cautionary tale, has that now. And he knows it means way more than a two home run night. Even a two home run night like this.

“Eight years between Big League homers,” Astros manager Dusty Baker, who’s spent almost his entire lifetime inside of baseball, says. “That’s a long time. It’s a great story.”

One that will only get better the more it’s told.

Justin Verlander does his part on this Friday, battles his way through six innings with the Astros offense in complete control. And on almost any other night, Verlander making his first home start back in Minute Maid Park would dominate the postgame chatter. That’s certainly what all the fans who bring their Verlander Astros jerseys back out expect. But Jon Singleton goes storybook and well. . . there are few stories quite like this one anywhere.

Eight years and 13 days between Major League home runs. Then just an inning before a second one. A 31-year-old grabbing the most unlikely of fourth or fifth chances.

It’s such an unfathomably magic tale that Shohei Ohtani, the most compelling supernova of a star in baseball, playing a game in Houston is rendered a secondary or lower afterthought at best.

“I’m really happy for him today,” Verlander says when asked about Singleton. “Obviously, it’s been a long road. And finding himself back in the big leagues and having a game like today — really special.”

Only the Astros can make another oppressively hot day in Houston in a string of unending oppressively hot days feel like a festive holiday. That is what Justin Verlander’s return and Jon Singleton’s storybook sprung to life do. That is what all the fans crammed into Minute Maid to see it all, their excitement to be there real and apparent, do. It’s another sellout of 41,152 at the Juice Box and many more wish they could be there too.

Who wouldn’t want to be part of this type of moment?

“Honestly, I kind of don’t remember,” Singleton says of that previous last Big League home run before this night. “It’s so long ago. And a lot has happened in-between.”

Drought over. Second life rolling. Why would he stop now?

The Justin Verlander Jersey Brigade

Dedicated Astros fan Nick Cardenas packed his Justin Verlander jersey — one of the really nice ones — away in a box for safe keeping. After Cardenas wore the Verlander jersey to the two-time World Series Astros hero’s Juneteenth start at Minute Maid as a New York Met, Cardenas figured that was it.

“I told my wife that’s the last time I’m going to wear my Verlander jersey,” Cardenas laughs. He is standing in the concourse at Minute Maid on this Friday, wearing his white Astros Justin Verlander jersey. And it’s definitely very much back in fashion.

“Lo and behold they got him back, got him on that deadline,” Cardenas says. “And I took (the jersey) back out of the box.”

“I’m really happy for him today. Obviously, it’s been a long road. And finding himself back in the big leagues and having a game like today — really special.” — Justin Verlander on Jon Singleton

Cardenas is hardly the only Astros fan who is breaking back out the Verlander jerseys. On a walk around the concourse about 45 minutes before the game, I counted 15 Verlander jerseys. They’re suddenly the hottest accessory on another sweltering Houston Friday night.

A night that feels like something of another unofficial Astros holiday in America’s fourth largest city.

Cardenas and his wife bought tickets once they figured out this game against the Angels was going to be the first home start of Verlander’s return. There was little doubt they’d make the trip in from Sugar Land. Cardenas first got his Verlander jersey back in 2017, right after the trade, when the idea of the Astros winning championships still seemed somewhat farfetched.

Just like getting Verlander back from the Mets after just months of baseball seemed like a farfetched, fanciful notion. Until about 10 days ago.

“I was freaking out,” Cardenas says of finding out Verlander was coming back to Houston. “Just like I did in 2017. Exact same emotions.”

Kyle Humphrey, who got his Verlander Astros jersey in 2021, also brought it back. Getting tickets with a buddy specifically to this first return home start to see that familiar No. 35 pitch.

“Honestly, it’s exciting,” Humphrey says. “It’s really exciting. We were stoked to hear the news about like the rumor. Then when it happened, it was great. We had to get tickets and come for it.”

As for wearing his Verlander jersey?

“I figured it suits the occasion,” Humphrey says, breaking into a grin.

This is what Astros owner Jim Crane has given the franchise’s fans. A priceless chance to go back to the future. An opportunity to flex a little bit — and get lost in the possibilities. The Verlander return story is something special.

The Jon Singleton one is. . . something nearly unbelievable. In the best kind of way. In a family kind of way.

“Phenomenal,” Singleton says of the night. “It’s a place I feel comfortable at. I’m grateful and thankful for having this opportunity.”

He gets to share this night with his family, with his loving wife and kids. And that means more than any home run. Or two.

Drought over. Second life rolling. Why would Jon Singleton stop now?