Over at ESPN, Jeff Passan has a breakdown of the clubhouse issues the Philadelphia Phillies faced in the first season of Gabe Kapler’s management last year, and it turns out they might be more relatable than you thought—when their jobs got pointless and shitty, the Phillies slacked off and played video games instead.
Passan’s article opens with an anecdote from the Phillies’ 10-2 loss to the Braves on the last weekend of the season, which came about a week after they’d been eliminated from playoff contention. In it, first baseman Carlos Santana gets so frustrated by the apathetic youths on the team that he goes full-on hotel-room rock star in the clubhouse:
When the Philadelphia Phillies lost their ninth consecutive game toward the end of last September, veteran first baseman Carlos Santana felt like he needed to send a message to his teammates who he said spent portions of the game against the Atlanta Braves playing video games in the clubhouse. Santana grabbed a bat, retreated to the room at Citizens Bank Park where the gaming took place and smashed the TV to ensure there would be no more “Fortnite” the final two days of the season.
“I see a couple players — I don’t want to say names — they play video games during the game,” Santana told ESPN. “We come and lose too many games, and I feel like they weren’t worried about it. Weren’t respecting their teammates or coaches or the staff or the [front] office. It’s not my personality. But I’m angry because I want to make it good.”
While Phillies pitcher Jake Arrieta told Passan that the Fortnite playing, in his understanding, only happened “once or twice,” Santana, who’s now back in Cleveland after one year with the Phillies, had no regrets:
“I don’t know what happened,” Santana said, “But I’ve never seen that in my life—during the game, playing video games. It’s not professional. Each team is everybody all together. I understand we’re eliminated for the season, but you have to have pride.”
Santana did everyone a favor. Fortnite sucks.