Team USA handed the first defeat to the Mexican Baseball Team in an exciting game full of intensity and surprise, as well as an awkward moment starring Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh. The Mexican player tried to greet Cal Raleigh, who is also his teammate with the Seattle Mariners, but the catcher simply ignored him, sparking controversy.
Cal Raleigh snubs Randy Arozarena
The scene occurred in the early moments of the game. Before starting his turn at bat, the Mexican outfielder approached the American catcher in a friendly manner to greet him, something that is usual among players who share a team in Major League Baseball.
However, Raleigh’s reaction surprised everyone. The catcher simply avoided the greeting and continued with the preparation of the game, leaving Arozarena with his hand extended in front of the cameras. The moment was captured by the official broadcast and quickly went viral on social networks
Arozarena responds to Cal Raleigh
Hours after the game, Randy Arozarena did not hide his annoyance and responded directly when asked about his teammate’s gesture.
The Mexican baseball player made a comment that quickly echoed among fans and sports media.
The first thing he has to do is thank God that he has very polite parents. Two days ago I saw them at the hotel, they both greeted me. And the other thing I’m going to say to him in Cuban: ‘Go f*ck yourself’
Arozarena’s words reflected the anger of the player, who did not understand why his teammate decided to ignore the greeting on an international stage such as the World Baseball Classic.
Why didn’t Cal Raleigh shake Randy Arozarena’s hand?
Although the gesture was interpreted by many as unsportsmanlike and by Arozarena as rude, some analysts have tried to explain what happened from a technical point of view.
Baseball journalist Enrique Rojas offered a possible reason behind the American catcher’s reaction.
“In these times, catchers are not giving hand to the hitters because if the catcher gets dirty with pine tar he can be ejected from the game,” he explained.
Pine tar is a substance used by batters to improve their grip on the bat. If a catcher comes into contact with it and is deemed to be using it improperly, they could face sanctions or even be ejected from the game. For that reason, some catchers prefer to avoid any contact with batters before starting an at-bat. Only Cal Raleigh will really know the reason behind his behavior.
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