Excuse making for Ronald Acuna that I’ll actually go along with

FILE – Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. drives in the go-ahead run with a base hit in the eighth inning of the team’s baseball game against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday, May 16, 2018, in Atlanta. The Braves won 4-1. (FILE AP Photo/John Bazemore)

CHUCK OLIVER
ATLANTA, Ga – There’s one part of excuse making for Ronald Acuna that I’ll actually go along with.

“It’s not that big a deal he (fill in the blank). He’s a young player.”

Actually, he’s not even a young player yet. Not by most measuring sticks.

Big picture, I dismiss most of what I hear defending Acuna’s lack of hustle and focus and maturity, almost always.

You’re a pro. So be a pro.

There, that’s about 95% of all that needs to be said.

But the rest of the garbage reasoning is exactly that: it’s not a big deal (it is). It didn’t cost us (maybe, in that specific instance). He pimps a lot of fly balls that DO leave the yard (that makes it worse, not better). About 10 more.

But the one I’ll ride with, to the point of taking it even further, is “He’s a young player.”

Even his age as of right now, 21 years and 300-ish days, after two seasons in the bigs he’s just now the age so many great players were who were just making their debut or hadn’t even reached the bigs yet. Chipper, Bregman, Yelich, Bellinger .  .  . if those guys had Jack Leg moments at the exact same age as Acuna it was in AA Tucson or AAA Carson City. Acuna’s was in a playoff game v the St. Louis Cardinals.

Doesn’t excuse it and certainly doesn’t make it right. But I’d say he’s not even a young player yet. He will grow beyond this. Most likely.

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