“We gotta the shorten the season, man. It’s too many dang games… We gotta shorten this bad boy up.”
The words still resonate in fans’ minds a few hours after Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon said that in an interview.
You have to understand fans: they love the game too much to have one of the game’s highest earners say something like that.
In reality, he has a right to have his own opinion, but for PR purposes, sometimes it’s best not to share it with the world because it can create a bad look.
And for a guy who has missed almost two-thirds of his games in an Angels uniform, confronted and grabbed a fan, and mistreated the press for some time, it’s just an awful look.
Angels insider Sam Blum offered his take on the matter and said that two things can be true.
“Two things can be true: 1. Shortening the season is fair perspective for a player to have. I’m guessing many players agree. 2. The guy making $235K per game…to play in 36.8% of those games, isn’t a good messenger for it,” Blum tweeted.
Two things can be true:
1. Shortening the season is fair perspective for a player to have. I'm guessing many players agree.
2. The guy making $235K per game…to play in 36.8% of those games, isn't a good messenger for it. https://t.co/QD8uh9MhtF
— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) January 22, 2024
He is right: as stated, Rendon can have his opinion, and from a player’s perspective, it’s not that irrational.
162 games might be a lot for some players.
However, Rendon is perhaps not the best messenger for that particular message.
It’s that simple.
Since signing his seven-year, $245 million contract ahead of the 2020 season, Rendon hasn’t played a lot, and hasn’t always been clear about his injuries.
Now he and the Angels have a PR nightmare.
Another one, that is.
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