Fernando Tatis Jr. had some fun with Yankees fans on Friday night in the open of the Padres/Yankees series.
The balanced schedule debuting in 2023 from the MLB has, so far, been a welcome adjustment to the sport. While there were concerns that it might reduce the intensity of divisional rivalries, it has perhaps done the opposite with each divisional game meaning more in 2023 than in any year before.
And from another perspective, it has made it so fans in various cities get to see more of the stars from the opposite league than ever before.
The San Diego Padres and New York Yankees, under the previous schedule format, may have seen each other just once every few years. In fact, since 1998, the two teams have played each other just 22 times, with 11 of those games happening in the Bronx. Since the new stadium opened in 2009, San Diego has played in the Bronx for just one series.
That all changes with the balanced schedule, with the Padres making their first of several visits over the next decade on Friday night. Fernando Tatis Jr. was not welcomed kindly by the bleacher creatures.
Fernando Tatis Jr. has a field day with Yankees bleacher creatures
Tatis hit a massive 439-foot two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning to give the Padres a 4-0 lead. When he made it to the outfield at the bottom of the inning, fans called him out for his steroid suspension last season and called him a cheater.
Just like he did at Wrigley Field earlier this season, he took the chants as a chorus rather than jeers. This time, though, he did more than just dance, he acted like a conductor, waving his hands as if he were guiding a symphonic orchestra through a Chopin nocturne.
Take a look (warning: Language and obscene gestures can be seen from the fans):
Fans will fall on one of two sides here. Some might think this is fun (chances are, if you do, you probably like bat flips as well). On the other side, fans will think this is a disappointing mockery of the game, with Tatis joining in on the fun of people calling out his PED suspension essentially sending a message that he doesn’t care about the integrity of the game.
If you ask me, I think it’s fun and fine. Tatis served his suspension, so the jeers — while not unexpected — are a bit of a low blow. While Tatis could take this all wrong, he sees an opportunity to engage the fans.
Isn’t that part of the fun of being a baseball spectator?
Juxtaposing this with the immature way Myles Straw has reacted to the same fans, I’m totally fine with this.