Yasiel Puig is a phenom. He’s the best thing to happen to the Los Angeles Dodgers since Zack Greinke signed with the team, and that’s saying something. One of the National League’s most storied franchises is now in position to make its first World Series appearance in 25 years, but that will only be possible if Puig grows up as a person, not necessarily as a player.
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During the Dodgers’ 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 3 of the NLCS, Puig hit an RBI triple in the fourth inning that he thought was a home run. He started celebrating as if he’d cleared the fence and then took off when he realized the ball was still in play. Had he taken off instantly, he likely would have recorded an inside-the-park home run, but he was too busy actin’ a fool. Then to top it off, he celebrated again after reaching third base standing up.
Sure, it’s fine because the Dodgers won to avoid falling into the dreaded 0-3 hole in the series, but had Puig’s premature celebration cost his team the win, everyone would be more apt to realize that his immaturity is hurting the Dodgers almost as much as his superb athleticism is helping them. On the same note, he needs to pick up his game a little bit before he starts acting like he’s Reggie Jackson or something. The kid was 0-for-10 in the first two games of this series before going 2-for-3 in Game 3, so he needs to prove some consistency on this incredible stage before he gets the credit of a true October hero.
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