The knockout delivered by Rougned Odor to the face of Jose Bautista was like a godsend for meme makers everywhere, who pounce on opportunities like the one given to them by the Texas Rangers & Toronto Blue Jays like a wild animal that hasn’t eaten in weeks.
Odor isn’t sorry for punching Bautista in the face. He knows he’ll be suspended, but he isn’t sorry. This is the world of baseball, with weird codes and incredible long memories for players. This is all about Bautista bat flipping after hitting a home run in last season’s playoff series between the two teams.
In baseball, you’re not allowed to celebrate. Somehow, players think it’s disrespectful. It results in dangerous pitching, and these kind of fights. Odor said he felt he needed to defend himself. The punch he landed on Bautista’s face led to a huge brawl between the two teams. He doesn’t regret it.
Both teams followed up the game with pretty decisive losses. Sometimes these things throw teams off focus for a day or two. But despite the echo the punch created, there’s nothing too serious or special about it. For baseball players, it’s just another day in the office.
