Here we go again, with our latest 50/50 argument of the week. This time, we’re heading back to Sunday’s World Baseball Classic matchup between Mexico and the United States.
Playing for Mexico, Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena stepped up to the plate, where his teammate, All-Star catcher Cal Raleigh, was squatting behind the plate. Arozarena offered a handshake to Raleigh, who refused, and apparently it worked. Raleigh and the USA went on to win the game 5-3.
However, Arozarena spoke with Mexican journalist Luis Gilbert, going off on an explicit rant laced with Cuban and Mexican slang aimed at Raleigh. After remaining calm and speaking highly of Raleigh’s parents, Arozarena went in:
“… After that, I want to give it to him straight, Cuban style. What he has to do is f*** off! Go to h***! That fake ass “good to see you” he hit me with? He can shove it straight up his a**. I’m out.”
Arozarena stormed off down the tunnel, and of course, this raised plenty of conversations amongst baseball fans across the globe. Some argued it’s all about national pride in these types of events, while others claimed Raleigh was a robot incapable of having fun. But Raleigh responded after the incident:
“I love Randy. I do,” Raleigh said. “I hate that this is a thing. There’s no beef. When we get back to Seattle, he’s my brother. We’re family. I already reached out to him, so it’s just a competitive environment, and I know he would want the same for me when we’re on the team and in playoff baseball. I just have a responsibility for my teammates here right now, and my country, and emotions are running high.”
Who knows, maybe there’s more here with Arozarena? Well, we can jump even further back into the time machine, as Arozarena has offered a hand before. In the 2023 WBC, Arozarena put out his hand for a closed-fist bump with Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith, who was behind the dish for the U.S., only to be met with denial that time too.
As a hockey player in my younger days, this brought up some old memories. Many moons ago, I was one of three players selected from my school to the NJ High School Hockey All-Star Game, and I was on a different squad than my two teammates. There was a play in the game that brought me and one of them racing for the puck near the boards, we checked each other, talked some shit, and kept it moving up the ice. That’s sports, man!
In the Olympics, we just saw members of two very bitter NHL rivals, the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning, joining forces on the United States squad to go against… other members of the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning putting their efforts together for Canada! It’s ok to wish for someone’s sports misery for three hours, not shake their hand at any point, and still come together at a later date.
All in all, I think we need more of this in sports. Lots of players have the same agents these days, leading to more frequent meetings at parties or corporate events, and it just seems like everyone is having a good old time. But you have to remember that there are sickos out there – people who have absolutely nothing on their mind other than winning. As a fan of U.S. baseball against international competition, I’m glad that sicko Raleigh is on our side.
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