This past week across Major League Baseball has seen a prolonged debate over the ethics of hitting a 3-0 home run off a position player. We can thank out-of-touch White Sox manager Tony La Russa for that.
Rays manager Kevin Cash, though, took a different approach when his own player went yard off Orioles infielder Stevie Wilkerson.
In case you missed this latest insufferable unwritten-rule controversy, the White Sox’s Yermin Mercedes hit a 3-0 home run in a blowout game off of Twins position player Willians Astudillo. La Russa then proceeded to publicly criticize his own player and then took no offense when the Twins threw at Mercedes the following day.
On Thursday, another home run came off a position player with Joey Wendle going deep on mid-40s heat from Wilkerson (after swinging through a 45 mph pitch earlier and laughing). But keep an eye on Cash in the dugout at the end of the video.
Rays Joey Wendle swings and misses on a 45 MPH pitch from Orioles infielder Stevie Wilkerson. Then Wendle hits a home run on the next pitch and is greeted with a high five from Rays manager Kevin Cash
(h/t @bbletter) pic.twitter.com/CXxgd4EqIe
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 20, 2021
A high-five!
That’s the only reaction a manager should have when his player hits a home run — regardless of the situation or the pitcher/non-pitcher on the mound. It’s professional baseball. These stats matter to players when it comes to contracts, especially in Mercedes’ case on a rookie deal.
You want to see the manager rooting for his players — not throwing them under the bus. Cash succeeded there where La Russa failed terribly.
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