This story was excerpted from Keegan Matheson’s Blue Jays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Everyone was looking around for Ernie Clement. On the first day of 2014 fall workouts, the University of Virginia baseball team filed into the weight room, one by one. The workout

Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement just had his best season in the big leagues, and he may have another sport to thank for it. In an appearance on “The Hobby Never Sleeps” podcast, Clement opened up about one of his favorite offseason activities.

With the Blue Jays teetering on the brink of another suboptimal offensive performance, Ernie Clement hopped off the bench and saved the day at Yankee Stadium. Clement’s pinch-hit home run woke the offense from its slumber in Friday’s 3-0 win over the Yankees.

They are two of the biggest hockey fans among the Blue Jays — one of them a former high school all star, the other a diehard Hartford Whalers advocate.

Blue jays third. Kazuma Okamoto homers to left field. Myles Straw called out on strikes. Brandon Valenzuela called out on strikes. Nathan Lukes doubles to deep right field. Ernie Clement pops out to Ildemaro Vargas.

Tyler Heineman out on a sacrifice bunt, pitcher Brandon Sproat to first baseman Luis Rengifo. Andrés Giménez scores. Ernie Clement to 2nd.