The Loop
Legendary baseball guy Carlos Santana smashed a TV with a bat to put a stop to Fornite last season
Tom Szczerbowski
Carlos Santana is a classic Baseball Guy. He speaks softly and carries a big stick. He thinks sunflower seeds are for snowflakes and that kids should go outside to play. You might not know a lot about him, but a new ESPN report tells you just everything you need to: In the midst of the Phillies' nine-game losing streak last fall—which saw the team plummet below .500 after being first place the NL East as late as August 12th—Santana discovered teammates playing Fortnite in the clubhouse in the middle of division rivalry game with the Atlanta Braves. Instead of scolding them or retreating into a veteran bubble as many players would have, Santana instead grabbed his bat and put it straight through the TV. You hear that rustling? That's the sound of baseball hardos everywhere crossing their legs.
"I see a couple players -- I don't want to say names -- they play video games during the game," Santana said. "We come and lose too many games, and I feel like they weren't worried about it. Weren't respecting their teammates or coaches or the staff or the [front] office. It's not my personality. But I'm angry because I want to make it good."
And things have been pretty good for the Phillies this offseason too, landing Bryce Harper and JT Realmuto, among (many) others, in free agency. It's an all-in strategy that will be considered a failure if it produces anything less than a World Series title, and if that means less Fortnite, then so be it. But as fellow clubhouse lynchpin Jake Arrieta made clear, it doesn't necessarily mean no Fortnite...especially since Santana was traded back to Cleveland in December.
"You have to set certain rules and boundaries," said Arrieta on the to-Fornite or not-to-Fortnite debate. "Some people like to lock in on their phone and watch a show. I'm OK with that. I really don't care if you want to play Fortnite up to a half-hour before the game. If that's what locks you in, I don't mind that. But during the game? That's a different story."
Seems like a reasonable line to us...but god help you if you cross it.
Jim McIsaac