Ronald Acuña Jr.’s lack of hustle proves costly for Braves

By Oct 3, 2019, 9:18 PM EDT
Todd Kirkland/Getty Images
42 Comments

It was only two months ago that Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. was benched for a lack of hustle. In mid-August, Acuña gawked at what he thought was a home run. The ball, however, stayed in the yard so he had to settle for a long single. Manager Brian Snitker removed him from the game not long afterwards.

Acuña apparently didn’t learn his lesson because the same thing happened, this time in a playoff game. Acuña led off the bottom of the seventh inning of NLDS Game 1 against the Cardinals with the Braves leading 3-1. He slapped a John Brebbia offering down the right field line. Either because he thought it was a home run or because he wasn’t sure if it would stay fair, Acuña watched the ball travel in the air rather than running hard. The ball caromed off of the right field fence. Dexter Fowler played the carom and fired the ball on one hop to second base, leaving Acuña with a long single.

Acuña moved to second base on an Ozzie Albies ground out. He should have been on third base instead, and it proved costly. Lefty Andrew Miller entered, eventually putting Freddie Freeman on first base after hitting him with a pitch. Josh Donaldson then hit a sharp liner to shortstop Paul DeJong. Acuña was too far off the second base bag when the 104 MPH line drive was caught, so he was doubled off to end the inning. If he had been on third base instead, he wouldn’t have been doubled off. Thus, the Braves would have had another opportunity to pad their lead.

The Cardinals rallied for two runs to tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the eighth, then plated four runs in the ninth en route to a 7-6 victory. Acuña added a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth, his third hit of the night, but the Braves’ rally came up short.

Snitker could not have benched his team’s best player in the middle of a playoff game, and he can’t bench him ahead of an upcoming playoff game, either. One, however, imagines Snitker and Acuña will have a conversation about the lack of hustle following Thursday’s loss.

Update (9:34 PM ET): Freeman wasn’t happy about it. Per The Athletic’s David O’Brien:

New bill to build Athletics stadium on Las Vegas Strip caps Nevada’s cost at $380 million

Associated PressMay 27, 2023, 12:14 PM EDT
D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
2 Comments

CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.