Getty Image / Rob Carr
On Wednesday night, Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz went viral after hitting a monster home run against the Washington Nationals.
Mainly due to the fact he hit Nationals manager Davey Martinez with a little taunt before running the bases.
In the second inning of the game, Martinez had the umpires check De La Cruz’s bat to make sure it was legal. There was some sort of knob on the end of it that had Martinez question the bat. It passed inspection and the Reds’ star remained in the game.
Fast forward to the fifth inning and Elly De La Cruz skyrockets a home run ball 455 feet. But before rounding the bases, he basically told Davey Martinez to check the bat again. It was just an absolutely perfect taunt.
Wanna see it again?@ellylacocoa18 pic.twitter.com/KUokmWJAlt
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 6, 2023
The Reds went on to win the contest in a dominant display of baseball, as they finished 9-2 over the Nationals.
As you can imagine, Davey Martinez was not pleased with De La Cruz’s home run antics at all.
According to The Washington Post, Martinez gave props where props are due. He recognized that the Reds’ star is a great player. However, he doesn’t think the taunting is needed for the game of baseball.
Here’s what the Nationals manager had to say about Elly De La Cruz.
“I love the way he plays the game. I didn’t like his antics after he hit the home run. We can do without that. He’s only got two weeks in the big leagues. But he’s gonna be a good player.”
Look, Martinez probably didn’t like the taunt because it was mainly directed at him. However, De La Cruz is exactly what baseball needs right now.
He does nothing but bring excitement to the game. The monster home runs, the flashy plays, the taunting. I want, no, I need it all in this sport.
With that said, just keep doing what you’re doing, Elly.