Did Ronald Acuña Jr.’s former teammate jinx himself after revealing his true nature? Well, even if that’s the case, he’s still the heart of the story in this drama. In the middle of what’s been a struggling season for the Atlanta Braves till now, there’s been a controversy that has been the talk of the town at the moment. And amid this drama, former Braves’ star Dansby Swanson has extended his support to Acuña Jr., revealing his true nature. So, what exactly sparked this drama?
For those who are unaware of the incident, Ronald Acuña Jr. was recently involved in a feud with his teammate, Jarred Kelenic, and his coach, Brian Snitker. The incident stemmed from Saturday’s Braves game against the Minnesota Twins, where Kelenic managed to hit a single and then went out of the box, hoping that the ball would go out of the park. However, it didn’t happen, and Kelenic was thrown out at second base. Brian Snitker didn’t bother to give any punishment for that, which prompted Acuña Jr. to express his displeasure on social media.
Did he address the double standard internally rather than talking about it publicly on social media?
“If it were me, they would take me out of the game,” Acuña Jr. said. And it’s true! A similar incident happened in August 2019, when he wasn’t able to run hard, thinking it to be a home run; Snitker removed Acuña Jr. Not to forget, Ender Inciarte was also removed for his lack of hustle in July 2018, and Marcell Ozuna too in June 2023. Acuña Jr’s former $177 million teammate, Dansby Swanson, came in support of him. On the Diggin’ Deep Shows, Swanson said, “To Ronald’s credit, I don’t think people realize how awesome of a dude he is, and if you go watch throughout the playoffs, 2021 season, how engaged he was, like he was in the dugout.”
While heaping praise on his former teammate, Swanson also said, “People don’t see those things, but we knew it and felt it. Having the good energy of everyone in the dugout believing that we can do this no matter who it is, who is hurt, or who is healthy; we all just had one common goal of belief and bought into it and just became like a freaking juggernaut.” And they won it together for the Atlanta Braves in 2021, that too, on their home ground. So, it was definitely something special.
But not to forget that Ronald Acuña Jr has always been put down by someone. Be it Freddie Freeman, who used to be hard on him and add to that, Brian Snitker. So, it sometimes feels that Ronald Acuña Jr’s been the target of everyone. Acuña Jr might have made mistakes – we all do – but it cannot be denied that Acuña Jr has been one of the players who dedicated his heart and soul to the team with the ultimate goal of winning another World Series title for the Braves.
However, amid all the drama and debate, former Braves star Jeff Francoeur tore Acuña Jr apart in a scathing response. What did he say?
Former Braves star lambasts Ronald Jr amid double-standard drama
Amid the Atlanta Braves’ winning streak that made fans cheer with joy and filled the dugout with sheer energy, the trajectory of success has taken a sudden twist. Although their consecutive winnings might have set their rhythm, reflecting their resilience after early-season struggles, Ronald Acuña Jr’s post on Braves manager isn’t liked by ex-Braves star Jeff Francoeur. “And you got a guy who’s supposed to be your teammate, tweeting, probably out in LA, something that is completely meaningless and stupid,” he said, criticizing his unusual take.
Francoeur further revealed that Acuña Jr was warned several times, like ten times, to run until he was thrown out. Giving a clarification why Kelenic didn’t face a similar punishment like Acuña Jr, he said, “This is the first time Jarred Kelenic has ever done it. Now, real quick, do I think Snit’s answer to it was great? Probably not, probably not. He probably also didn’t expect that after winning two games in a row, this is what he was going to be talking about.” Francoeur even called Acuña Jr for burying his teammate, mentioning that he’s been a good player but not a “good teammate”.
The former Braves star also didn’t stop mentioning that the team won the World Series without him. So, doubling down on his criticism of Acuña Jr, it’s worth noting that the Braves have succeeded even without Acuña Jr in their lineup. Acuña Jr has been away from the field at the moment, and until he returns, the team will look to win games without him as much as they can.
What are your thoughts on this drama? Let us know in the comments.
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