Phillies Manager Rips Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. for Excessive Celebration
Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. hit his 37th home run of the season on Tuesday night, breaking a 1–1 deadlock with the Phillies in the fifth inning.
Philadelphia’s starter Zack Wheeler hung a curveball over the plate, and Acuña demolished it for a two-run shot that carried 424 feet. While rounding the bases, the 25-year-old didn’t hold back with his celebratory antics.
Acuña could be seen flapping imaginary wings as he rounded first base and then gesturing that he had ice in his veins while passing third.
His celebrations didn’t sit well with Phillies manager Rob Thomson, who, on a radio appearance on the WIP Morning Show, weighed in on the incident in the fifth inning of Tuesday’s game.
While Thomson didn’t call out Acuña directly, he did say, “I like our guys to act like they’ve been there before.”
“I like our guys to act like they’ve been there before.”
— WIP Morning Show (@WIPMorningShow) September 13, 2023
Rob Thomson on Ronald Acuña Jr’s celebration last night pic.twitter.com/hboizAkTs6
Thomson seemed to think that Acuña’s escapades on the base paths were unprofessional, suggesting he’d be peeved if a member of his own team acted in a similar fashion.
The NL East rivals face off Wednesday for the final tilt of their current four-game series. They’ll meet again, for the last time this season, during a three-game series in Atlanta from Sept. 18–20.
Acuña’s 37th home run played a big role in the Braves’ 7–6 extra-innings win, and he’s now rapidly approaching the coveted 40/60 milestone. He’d be the first player in MLB history with 40 home runs and 60 stolen bases, and would be just the fifth player all time with 40 in each category.