Ronald Acuña Tried to Hit Left-Handed With the Braves Up 19-0 But Brian Snitker Wouldn't Let Him

It is with sincere regret that I must inform you the Baseball Fun Police are, in fact, at it again.

With the Braves leading the Pirates 19-0 in the eighth inning on Friday night, Ronald Acuña went out to the on-deck circle with a left-handed batting helmet on and was getting ready to take an at-bat from the left side. Unfortunately, his manager Brian Snitker was in the same graduating class as Tony La Russa at No Fun University and called Acuña back into the dugout.

I understand not wanting to show up an opponent. But you know who was pitching for Pittsburgh? Infielder William Difo, who gave up 8 ER in his lone inning of work. The Braves had already launched a grand slam off him.

So the Pirates had pretty well punted on the game. If you don't want guys doing shit like going up to the plate opposite-handed, don't get down by 19 runs and put a position player in to pitch.

And just think how great it would have been for baseball if Acuña got even a single from the left side of the plate. It would have been the most viral clip in sports on a night that featured NBA and NHL playoff games. It would have likely spurred some sort of special left-handed Acuña card in MLB The Show that would have generated all sorts of buzz on social media. The olds would have gotten all riled up again, which is just entertaining for everybody.

We're so close to making baseball as cool as it can be. As soon as we replace guys like Snitker and La Russa with managers who are not adverse to having a good time playing a game, we'll be in there like swimwear.

I didn't know there was anything I'd ever want to see Acuña do on a baseball field so badly, but now all I want is to see him launch one into the Chop House from the left side of the plate. I'm sure he'd do it, too.