In the eighth inning of a game his San Diego Padres led by seven runs over the Texas Rangers, Fernando Tatis Jr., reveling in the …
In the eighth inning of a game his San Diego Padres led by seven runs over the Texas Rangers, Fernando Tatis Jr., reveling in the spoils of a 3-and-0 count, swung and hammered his second home run of the game, a grand slam that turned a rout into a runaway. That’s fine. After, Rangers manager Chris Woodward expressed some dismay over Tatis swinging in such a count in such a situation, one that barely registers on baseball’s spectrum that’s roughly the equivalent of not blitzing the other quarterback when you’re up six touchdowns. “Just because I don’t like it,” the second-year manager said of Tatis’ swing, “doesn’t mean it’s not right.” That’s also fine. We’re all for marveling at greatness, and Tatis exudes it every time he steps on a baseball diamond. It’s true: Tatis swinging at that pitch rather than accepting a 3-and-1 count brought more joy to the world, or at least to the scattered few actually tuned into the late innings of a Padres-Rangers blowout on a Monday evening in the middle of a global pandemic. It would behoove Woodward to lighten up a little bit, sure. Yet while keeping the masses entertained is what funds his paycheck, his more specific job title is managing the Texas Rangers. In an era when the front office increasingly calls the shots, defending your players is perhaps a bigger part of a manager’s responsibility than ever.
