Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta Braves. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Ronald Acuña Jr. gave the Atlanta Braves the second best slide of all time.
Look at Ronald Acuña Jr. wreaking havoc on the base paths for the Atlanta Braves.
With the game first game of the series vs. the Toronto Blue Jays hanging in the balances, Acuña gave the Braves the second greatest slide in franchise history, only a day after the 60th birthday of the man who delivered them the greatest. At 60 years and a day young, Sid Bream has to be impressed with what Acuña just did to the Blue Jays on Tuesday night. He knows how to slide.
With Atlanta up 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning with one out, Acuña gave Braves Country some of that patented Bream hustle by scoring on a play none of us thought was possible. Though Francisco Cabrera’s ball did travel to the outfield and Bream had to score from second, Freddie Freeman’s knock didn’t make it out of the infield. So Acuña took it upon himself to score anyway.
Don’t act like you’re not impressed with Ronald Acuña Jr., Sid Bream.
Back in 1992, Bream was the slow-footed, slick fielding first baseman for Atlanta. He was towards the end of his big league career with knees so busted he could barely run. He may have spent the bulk of his MLB career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but his elite speed for 180 feet in Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS made him an Atlanta legend for the rest of time.
Flash forward nearly 30 years later and the Braves have their most talented player since, I don’t know, Hank Aaron. Braves Country hasn’t been this excited about an everyday player since Andruw Jones was a teenage phenom back in 1996 out of Curacao. Jones gave the Braves a great decade, but he only ended up with a Hall of Very Good career. For Acuña, this is only the beginning.
Once he figures it out, in that he has the potential to be the best player in the National League, Atlanta may end its 25-year World Series title drought. Yes, losing Mike Soroka for the season due to a torn right Achilles’ tendon is so beyond brutal, but at least Acuña and the Braves are trying to give him a happy birthday present during his first day on the mend. Make a wish, Mike!
Acuña shouldn’t have scored on that infield nubber, but here we are and we’re amazed he did.