Team USA and Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler doesn’t seem to be a fan of raw emotion (or fun for that matter) that’ll typically be on full display during important plays or games throughout a baseball season.
Hence the World Baseball Classic, which aside from the asinine dates it takes place every four years, typically serves as one of those occasions that players get emotional about. I get it too, I’m sure having the opportunity to represent your country on the World stage is about as emotional as it gets when you’re a professional athlete.
I’m not sure that sits well with Kinsler, who apparently has taken some exception to the exuberance of some of the Latin teams in the WBC. Here’s Kinsler telling those damn Latin kids to stay off his lawn. Via the New York Times:
“I hope kids watching the W.B.C. can watch the way we play the game and appreciate the way we play the game as opposed to the way Puerto Rico plays or the Dominican plays,” Kinsler said. “That’s not taking anything away from them. That just wasn’t the way we were raised. They were raised differently and to show emotion and passion when you play. We do show emotion; we do show passion. But we just do it in a different way.”
“…we just do it in a different way.”
If there’s anything wrong with baseball it’s the this apparent self-righteousness and backwards old school nonsense that still hangs over the game. It’s the same shit that in many ways has kept baseball from really branching out within the United States.
Ian Kinsler's "Right Way" to play baseball pic.twitter.com/nTfD3PBGtg
— Tyler (@RunningFlannel) March 22, 2017
Professional sports is an emotional and for the most part is suppose to be fun. It’s not real life but a way people can get away from the rigors of their day and indulge themselves in something that really isn’t that important in the grand scheme of things. Sure it’s a job to guys like Kinsler but who says you can’t have fun and show emotion on the job? Hell, professional athletes are in the ultimate profession where emotion can play a huge advantage.
Bottom line… don’t be such a tight ass Ian.