The San Diego Padres expressed their discontent with Fox Sports broadcaster Ken Rosenthal.
According to a report from The San Diego Union-Tribune, the organization prohibited Rosenthal from entering the dugout to conduct the usual in-game interviews. The reason? Rosenthal criticized several Padres players for their inappropriate behavior during game two of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In his article, Rosenthal described Manny Machado’s throw toward the Dodgers’ dugout as “punkish,” while also criticizing Fernando Tatis Jr. for his offensive “dancing” and Jurickson Profar‘s trolling.
Columnist Kevin Acee noted that the team was “not pleased” with these reasonable critiques.
Padres’ Reaction
Acee reported, “The Padres were not pleased with Rosenthal’s brand of journalism.” The team conducted a one-game boycott of his in-game interviews, which are expected to resume. After the game, Tatis shared a celebratory photo on Instagram featuring a peacock and a dancing man emoji.
Profar responded, showing a lack of understanding: “It motivated us. All that lying, I don’t know, man. We just need to play baseball. … What do you want him to do? He’s reacting like that because of you guys.”
Profar seems unable to differentiate between fans and players’ behavior. Players are expected to adhere to a higher standard than fans, as they are compensated significantly to maintain professionalism. Fans often direct abuse at players, who are paid to rise above it.
Both Profar and Tatis engage in taunting fans, which is inappropriate conduct for Major League Baseball players. Rosenthal, as an objective reporter, rightly called them out for this behavior. Fans, particularly at Dodger Stadium, frequently remind Tatis of his past transgressions, and he should focus on ignoring them instead of reacting inappropriately.
This incident highlights a culture in the Padres organization marked by taunting and a tendency to play the victim when faced with criticism. It reflects the character of its players: soft and whiny.
In light of this incident, perhaps Rosenthal should consider boycotting game four on Wednesday in response to being penalized for doing his job.
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