Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo ERUPTS in Torrid Rant on MLB Players Padding Their Stats in Blowout Games: ‘EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO HOME!’

Major League Baseball is a constant tug of war between “old school” and “new school” approaches to the game. None more prevalent than when a player swings at a 3-0 pitch in a blowout, which SiriusXM sports radio host Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo says is a big no-no.

“There’s nobody watching the game. There’s no eyeballs on the [TV] sets and there’s nobody in the stadium. This is not an entertainment scenario,” Russo ranted during his show Mad Dog Unleashed.

ICYMI: @MadDogUnleashed stands with @TonyLaRussa @whitesox
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— Mad Dog Sports Radio (@MadDogRadio) May 20, 2021

Earlier in the week, Chicago White Sox catcher Yermin Mercedes took a 3-0 pitch deep for a home run while his team was already leading 15-4. The pitch was delivered by a position player, who stepped on the mound during the blowout and lofted a 47mph meatball over the plate. 76-year-old White Sox manager Tony La Russa criticized his own player for the blast, saying Mercedes would face “consequences.”

New school baseball fans are tired of “old school” managers and supporters sticking to the game’s “unwritten rules” rather than letting a young player add to his highlight reel.

“EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO HOME!” Russo yelled in response to Mercedes hitting the blowout home run. “The groundskeeper, the official scorer, the stadium operator, the scoreboard operator, they want to GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE. They’re not interested in seeing some meaningless home run.”

Russo elicited the late great Hank Aaron, former Major League Baseball home run king to support his argument.

“Do you think Henry Aaron is going to disobey a take sign with a 3-0 count at 16-4 in the top of the ninth inning to swing?” Russo asked. “If you think he would, you KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HENRY AARON. Nothing. What’s good for Aaron, is good for the gander. Don’t swing.”

Whether Russo realizes it or not, he’s essentially arguing for Major League Baseball to adopt the mercy rule. If you’re going to slam a player for hitting a meaningless home run, then just end the game. And for a baseball purist like Russo, that’s a very progressive stance to take in a sport that is typically slow to change.

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