During Wednesday night’s game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals, there was a small controversy involving the bat of star rookie Elly De La Cruz – and it led to a bold celebration from De La Cruz later in the game, and Nationals manager Dave Martinez was not a fan.
In the second inning, Dave Martinez asked umpires to check the bat knob of Elly De La Cruz to make sure it was legal. The umpires initially told De La Cruz to remove a knob from the end of his bat – a covering for a sensor that tracks metrics on bat swings – but later deemed the knob legal and allowed him to put it back on.
Once it was deemed legal, De La Cruz launched a 455-foot home run into right-center field in his very next at bat. And before he began his trot around the bases, he mocked the bat investigation – pointing to the knob on the end of his bat as he looked at the umpire, mockingly suggesting he check it again.
In De La Cruz's third at-bat of the game, he crushes a 455-foot home run and tells home plate umpire Quinn Wolcott to check his bat again…💀pic.twitter.com/viJtKOthXY
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) July 6, 2023
Martinez was not happy with the celebration, saying after the game that he “didn’t like his antics.”
“I love the way he plays the game. I didn’t like his antics after he hit the home run,” Martinez said according to The Athletic. “We can do without that. He’s only got two weeks in the big leagues. But he’s gonna be a good player.”
The Reds ultimately won the game 9-2.
