Ben Verlander
FOX Sports activities MLB Analyst
Ronald Acuña Jr. is on prime of the baseball world proper now. He is the Nationwide League MVP frontrunner, he simply led the Atlanta Braves to their sixth straight N.L. East title and, better of all, he retains doing issues that trouble the game’s fun-hating outdated guard.
Effectively, guess what? Right here on “Flippin’ Bats,” we do not hate enjoyable.
Through the Braves’ most up-to-date collection in opposition to the division rival Phillies in Philadelphia, Acuña hit two mammoth house runs, and after each of them, he flipped his bat and danced across the bases, flapping his arms at his teammates within the visiting dugout whereas they flapped again. He is doing a hesitation step earlier than touching house, doing his factor. He is having a lot enjoyable.
And I’m sick and bored with individuals being sick and bored with enjoyable in baseball, particularly when one thing like this occurs to their crew. That does not imply it is advisable to be offended.
Phillies supervisor Rob Thomson, I am speaking to you.
After Acuña hit one other lengthy house run off the higher deck at Residents Financial institution Park on Tuesday, Thompson was quoted as saying, “I like our guys to behave like they have been there earlier than.”
However what makes it so ironic is, we are able to simply return to final 12 months to one of many coolest moments of the playoffs, when Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins spiked his bat into the ground whereas celebrating a house run within the NLDS in opposition to the Braves.
Baseball wants extra house run celebrations like those we noticed from Hoskins and Acuña. Certain, there’s a line the place it could possibly cross over into disrespect. However when a participant is simply hitting homers and having enjoyable and dancing together with his teammates and dancing across the bases, this is an concept — strive not hanging a curveball proper down the center for the most effective gamers in baseball to hit out of the park.
Thompson ought to as a substitute be mad at somebody like Zack Wheeler, who hung a type of curveballs to Acuña (or, as Wheeler referred to him afterwards, “What’s his title?”).
Braves reliever Tyler Matzek was quoted lately as saying, “Should you do not prefer it, cease it. If you cannot cease it, admire it. If you cannot admire it, preserve it down so everybody else can benefit from the present.” Acuña posted that quote to social media after the Braves clinched the division Wednesday evening, and it is so true.
Look, that is totally different from when Phillies followers have been booing Acuña as he was celebrating the division title on the sphere. Acuña had some enjoyable with the group, waving for them to be louder. It was superior. It jogged my memory of Justin’s viral “Philly hello” in the course of the World Sequence final 12 months.
They are saying baseball is like life, so similar to in life, it’s best to be capable of rejoice your wins in baseball. Have enjoyable. Make the sport extra thrilling. Do not take swipes on the opposing crew simply because your emotions get damage.
To repeat a phrase I usually heard within the minor leagues, when you do not prefer it, play higher.
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