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Phillies Player Carlos Santana Smashed TV To Stop Teammates From Playing Fortnite

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David Hookstead Sports And Entertainment Editor
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Philadelphia Phillies player Carlos Santana had an incredible reaction to his teammates playing video games.

During a poor part of last season for the Phillies, players were focused on video games during matchups taking place out on the field. How did Santana respond to that? He just smashed the TV with a baseball bat. (RELATED: Bryce Harper Signs With The Phillies)

ESPN reported the following on the situation:

When the Philadelphia Phillies lost their ninth consecutive game toward the end of last September, veteran first baseman Carlos Santana felt like he needed to send a message to his teammates who he said spent portions of the game against the Atlanta Braves playing video games in the clubhouse. Santana grabbed a bat, retreated to the room at Citizens Bank Park where the gaming took place and smashed the TV to ensure there would be no more Fortnite the final two days of the season.

“I see a couple players — I don’t want to say names — they play video games during the game,” Santana told ESPN. “We come and lose too many games, and I feel like they weren’t worried about it. Weren’t respecting their teammates or coaches or the staff or the [front] office. It’s not my personality. But I’m angry because I want to make it good.”

This is awesome. It’s almost straight out of the movie “Moneyball,” when players dance to music after losing.

If you’re a pro athlete and you’re playing video games during actual games, then you should be suspended immediately. It should be a zero-tolerance policy.

You’re getting paid a ton of money to win. If you can’t delay picking up a controller for the four or five hours you’re committed to playing, then you have no business in the sport. It’s that simple.

I honestly wouldn’t have been surprised if this ended in a fistfight. Imagine giving everything you have, and then finding out some players are busy with Fortnite. (RELATED: Philadelphia Phillies Sell $4 Million Worth Of Tickets After Signing Bryce Harper)

Smashing a TV seems like a very calm and measured response.

 

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If you’re dumb enough to play video games during a matchup, then you’re dumb enough to get your TV smashed. Play stupid games and I promise you that you’ll win stupid prizes.

Major shoutout to Santana for showing the Phillies what leadership looks like.