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Cody Bellinger dislocated his shoulder celebrating his NLCS-winning bomb Bash Bros-style
Tom Pennington
Man, they just don’t make ‘em like they used to—like Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, meathead muscle monsters so hopped up on illegal substances, performance enhancing or otherwise, they literally didn’t feel pain. And in that cauldron of dingers and drugs, the so-called Bash Bros fashioned one of the most iconic home run celebrations in baseball history, performing it time and time again with nary a flinch or bruise.
(That’s the Lonely Island version, but you get the picture.)
But those days are long gone. The kids these days are a little softer. They moisturize. They brunch. They’re protected from headhunting pitchers like Tom Brady is from defensive linemen. So it stands to reason, as the home run hitters change, so should the home run celebrations, a fact Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger learned the hard way on Sunday night, dislocating his shoulder celebrating his go-ahead home run in Game 7 of the NLCS with teammate Kike Hernandez. Here's the injury in its full, stupid glory.
Alternate angle incoming . . .
Bellinger could be seen wincing as he entered the dugout, and when asked about it after the game, here’s what he had to say.
OK, so it’s not as bad as Martin Gramatica blowing his ACL jumping around after a field goal, but if you’re a Dodgers fan and expecting the worst, this might give you the palm sweats. The World Series begins Tuesday night, and Bellinger is liable to still be a little sore, despite all that newfangled pilates or whatever. If that soreness dictates a slightly altered swing path and Bellinger slumps, carving out a giant void in the middle of the Dodgers lineup, well it doesn’t take a pessimist to imagine Tampa Bay’s second professional sports championship of the fall. But anyhoo, congrats on the World Series berth, LA! We’re sure everything will be just fine . . . probably.