Did Canadian slugger Josh Naylor cross the line with home run celebration?
Naylor #Naylor
Canadian slugger Josh Naylor of the Cleveland Guardians had the baseball world buzzing on Sunday after hitting a home run off New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole in Game 4 of the American League Division Series.
As he was rounding the bases following a solo homer to trim Cleveland’s deficit to 3-2 in the fourth inning, Naylor broke into a “Rock the Baby” celebration directed at Cole. The Mississauga, Ont., native was then caught on camera mouthing “That’s my little F-ing son.”
Cole and the Yankees ended up getting the last laugh, defeating the Guardians 4-2 to force a winner-take-all Game 5 on Monday. The Yankees right-hander was asked after the game about the incident with Naylor and claimed he didn’t even notice it at the time.
“Whatever. It’s cute,” Cole said. “I just was made aware of it. I didn’t see it in the moment and it wouldn’t have bothered me in the moment. And it just is kind of funny.”
So was Naylor’s celebration justified or was it too much? Let’s take a look at both sides of the argument.
Why the celebration was justified
It’s tough to criticize a young player for getting excited about making a big play in the postseason, especially in an elimination game. As baseball continues to move further away from worrying about the “unwritten rules,” these types of viral moments make the game more fun and get people talking about the sport.
Naylor has also experienced a lot of success against Cole to this point in his career, so his numbers back up his actions. The 25-year-old is hitting .278 with three home runs in 18 at-bats against the perennial Cy Young candidate.
There’s also the fact that Naylor has brought out the celebration in the past, and routinely calls pitchers “his son” after hitting home runs off them. This wasn’t just a one-off situation.
Why the celebration crossed the line
There are bat flips and then there are celebrations that go a little too far. Naylor appeared to repeatedly stare at and taunt Cole as he jogged around the bases, making it feel like he was going out of his way to show up the pitcher instead of simply celebrating his own achievement.
Naylor’s home run was also a solo blast early in the game and it didn’t result in his team tying the score or taking the lead. The Guardians were still trailing on the scoreboard, making the over-the-top exuberance feel a little out of place.
Have your say
So which side of the fence do you fall on? Vote in the poll below, then join the conversation on social media.
More from Yahoo Sports