Ronald Acuña defied Brian Snitker’s early-season counsel with his “slip of the year”
Wherever Ronald Acuña Jr. is from, it is not our dimension. On Tuesday night, the Braves outfielder committed the season’s first sliding error.
It’s difficult to slide into home plate.
Even though catchers are no longer permitted to block the plate, giving opposing baserunners a clear path to the plate, collisions and injuries are still a very real concern for any player sprinting towards home plate in these unpredictable times.
Acuña Jr., who appears to put himself in danger every day, did so once more on Tuesday night. In the process, Acuña undoubtedly gave Brian Snitker a heart attack, but he also added another moment to his 2022 highlight reel.
Early-season counsel from Brian Snitker sounds hollow
When Acuña first made his comeback in mid-May, Snitker forewarned him that he might need to alter his style of play.
“Yeah, because he plays with his hair on fire. He plays the thing hard. He’s done a really good job managing the (comeback from a knee injury), too. He’s gotten hot, he’s on base a lot, he wants to run, making plays in the outfield. Probably as he gets older and matures, he’ll probably need to scale back some of that a little bit because of the wear and tear on his body. At his age, he doesn’t know anything but full speed ahead. But God bless him,” Snitker said, per The Athletic.
Obviously, Acuña did not enjoy being told what to do—especially in light of the fact that his flair and playing style are what make him one of the more well-liked players in the game today and an important member of the squad.
Plays like the one he made on Tuesday night—in which he sprinted home without much of a plan—contravene what Snitker advocated.
And while the Braves manager undoubtedly had Acura’s best interests in mind, this is again another illustration of why it is very impossible to slow down a player like the three-time All-Star.
Acuña will act as he pleases and will do so with dignity.
