Albies says WBC was ‘one of the best moments and experiences of my life’

NORTH PORT, Fla. — On Thursday, Ozzie Albies was back.

The Braves’ second baseman retook his position at his locker in the right corner of the clubhouse at CoolToday Park, reunited with his teammates after a week-and-a-half away to play for the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic.

The Netherlands was eliminated after going 1-3 and finishing in fourth place in Pool D. That didn’t dampen Albies’ time with his countrymen.

“Totally crazy,” Albies told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution of the experience. “I’d never got to represent Curaçao and the Netherlands, the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao), besides playing for the Braves. So that was the first time I did so, and I’m telling you, it was one of the best moments and experiences of my life.

“Way better than I expected. The energy, playing against the top guys from the league, it’s a total experience that I think each player, that if you are capable of doing, you should get the experience at least once.”

Albies provided the Netherlands with its biggest thrill of the event, too.

Down 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth Saturday against Nicaragua at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Albies came to the plate with two on and two out. Albies took a first-pitch fastball from Angel Obando and launched it 411 feet into the right-center field stands.

It was the first-ever walk-off home run in WBC history.

“Definitely amazing. I didn’t know it was history (at the time),” Albies said. “I hit it, I obviously knew I got it, I enjoyed the whole moment. I enjoyed every 90 feet (before) I touched every base. It was, probably, in my career, one of the top three moments of my career.”

Said Braves manager Walt Weiss the morning after Albies’ homer: “What a great moment for him. Hopefully he carries that mojo right into the season — save it for the season, right?”

Albies went 3-for-15 in four WBC games, driving in four runs. Braves catcher Chadwick Tromp (1-for-12 with two walks and four strikeouts) was also on the squad, and Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar was supposed to be before he failed a drug test.

With the WBC over for the Netherlands, Albies wasted no time returning to the Braves and had already gotten a workout in at CoolToday Park on Thursday morning. He’ll likely be back in the lineup at 1 p.m. Friday when the Braves face the Red Sox.