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In case you missed it, Fernando Tatis Jr. is the least necessary hot water imaginable. He had the audacity to swing at a hittable pitch in a 3-0 count when his team was winning game that wasn’t technically over, resulting in widespread diaper-wetting by some of baseball’s oldest, most irrelevant losers.
His grand slam in the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers (also his second homer run of the game) extended a large lead and caused the Rangers and grumpy weirdos everywhere to lose their minds. Rangers manager Chris Woodward was incensed that someone would hit a baseball against his bad team, and after throwing a temper tantrum in the dugout, he instructed his pitcher to throw at Manny Machado. They’ve since been suspended.
“Leader” Eric Hosmer was also seen giving Tatis a stern talking to in the dugout following the homer. We can’t know for sure what he said, but it sure looked like someone who was overpaid on an imaginary “leadership” skillset lecturing one of the game’s brightest stars on imaginary rules that no one should care about.
Love it, Eric Hosmer. Tatis was wrong in pimping the grand slam #RTG pic.twitter.com/o0VCVUqjmd
— 4c (@pete4c) August 18, 2020
Where Tatis’ own teammates and manager were too cowardly to stand up for their star player, several others around baseball chimed in with support for fun. One of those was Delino DeShields Jr., who went off in a Twitter thread on his own experiences breaking baseball’s “unwritten rules” and the hypocrisy of their existence.
The year I stole 101 bags in the minor leagues if we were up by a lot and I got on base and the pitcher picked over knowing I wasn’t gonna steal guess what... I was stealing. Y’all want baseball to be fun again then “let the kids play” if you don’t like it do better.
— Delino DeShields (@LinoDeShields) August 18, 2020
I remember facing @JustinVerlander on Father’s Day in 2016 and we were getting stomped. JV had like 12 or 13 K’s going into the 7th and I was his last batter of the day. Worked into a 3-2 count and my man diced me up with slider down by 8.
— Delino DeShields (@LinoDeShields) August 18, 2020
Unwritten rule or was JV just playing the game? We actually laughed about it as he walked off the mound because he kicked our ass that day. I grew up around the game and every sport changes that’s the reality. A guy like me might take 3-0 depending on a situation because I don’t
— Delino DeShields (@LinoDeShields) August 18, 2020
That if I get ya back I’m gonna return the favor. Y’all gonna criticize me if I bunt for a hit when a guy is throwing a perfect game when it’s part of my game? I’m sorry but y’all can kiss my ass. That’s all have a great day peeps.
— Delino DeShields (@LinoDeShields) August 18, 2020