If America’s pastime is going to survive this century, it’s going to have to let its brash young personalities shine through
On Saturday the Los Angeles Dodgers hosted the San Diego Padres in what has become baseball’s hottest rivalry. To say the Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr started it off with a bang would be putting it mildly.
After taking a chest-high cutter from the Dodgers’ Trevor Bauer on the game’s first pitch for a strike, Tatis struck back on the very next throw, slapping essentially the exact same pitch over Dodger Stadium’s left-field fence to furnish the visitors with a 1-0 lead. It was your classic, cut-to-the-chase moment, one of baseball’s biggest bats getting over on its reigning Cy Young winner. But what came next was even more explosive. As Tatis was rounding first base, he slowed down, looked back and cupped a hand over his right eye. No doubt, for baseball purists, this – not the homer, his first of two on the day – was the real shot.