MLB has struggled for years to find a proper face of the league. Where you can easily point out LeBron James and Tom Brady from the NBA and NFL, baseball’s most recognizable name is trickier. More people are likely to point out Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter than Mike Trout or Juan Soto. There is virtually no household crossover appeal. No player, save for Bryce Harper initially, even had the potential to be recognized outside the insular baseball community. That was until Fernando Tatis Jr. came along.
Tatis Jr. has that swagger that baseball has been looking for. Beyond the stellar numbers that spell superstar, he was the epitome of the phrase “got that dawg in him.” Nobody matches the sheer aggressiveness he plays with, which includes multiple tag-ups on infield flies. When he is on the field, he is a lightning rod for entertainment and MLB knew it. Nobody got the national ad space that Tatis Jr. did. Nobody lived up to the moniker of the face of the sport like he did. Trout and Soto are arguably better, but neither play in the singular way Tatis Jr. does. He is one of one.
So it’s a black mark on the sport and the Padres superstar himself that he was popped for PEDs.
Fernando Tatis Jr. Earned the Ire With Selfishness
I’m not here to play arbiter in the case of whether Tatis Jr. meant to cheat or not. According to the report from Jeff Passan, he tested positive for Clostebol, a steroid that can be found in medications or ointments for dermatological treatment. This, of course, includes ringworm which he claimed he was treating. It’s plausible, but, for reasons I’m not going to delve into here, not probable. I’m not going to go down that rabbit hole because it doesn’t matter.
Whether Tatis Jr. cheated or simply failed the common sense check of running medication by a team doctor, it doesn’t change the fact that he let his team down. Whether he’s a fool or a con doesn’t matter when both indicate selfishness. Granted, plenty of players have made this same mistake without such a hit, but this is the second straight violation of trust for the shortstop. The whole reason he’s been out this year is due to a motorcycle accident he got in during the offseason. Not only that, it was one of MULTIPLE accidents he was involved in, further showing his recklessness.
Fernando Tatis Jr. discusses his reaction to finding out the severity of his injury: pic.twitter.com/VU85MSKeyr
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) March 14, 2022
Naturally, violating the trust of the team twice is a good way to earn the ire of teammates. Of the scathing remarks by Manny Machado, AJ Preller, and more, the one that stands out is Mike Clevinger who didn’t mince words when discussing Tatis Jr., saying “This is the second time we’ve been disappointed with him. You hope he grows up and learns from this and learns that it’s about more than just him right now.” It’s even worse that he’s supposed to be MLB’s new golden boy. That reputation of selfishness and potential cheating doesn’t easily wash away and it causes collateral damage to the sport as a whole.
Baseball is Worse Without the Superstar On the Field
The Padres will *probably* be fine without Tatis Jr. They’ve been just fine without him all year with Machado carrying the squad and adding Soto and Brandon Drury certainly doesn’t hurt. In the wider baseball landscape though, there’s inevitably damage. Baseball has been desperate for the type of player Tatis Jr. is – fun, energetic, and marketable. He’s one of the biggest forces against the stodgy, unwritten rules-heavy baseball of old where bat flips are akin to biting your thumb at your opponent. Especially coming out of a steroid era where the best and brightest players were also horrific cheaters, having another face of the sport become a disgrace is the last thing MLB and its fans need.
For a sport that looks to bring a younger audience in with exciting young players, losing a superstar that really appeals to them only further tanks those prospects. It creates a slew of awkward conversations and disappointment exacerbated by his national status. With a 14-year extension attached to him, he was meant to be a legacy player for the league – a superstar arc to watch from start to potential finish in San Diego. All that’s left is awkwardness and a shitload of money.
It’s up to Tatis Jr. to fix his reputation, but the damage is already done. Conversations about his legacy are already underway. Those outside the sport decry baseball, pondering why all its coolest players get busted. He was supposed to pull this sport out of the doldrums into an era where baseball lets the kids play. Instead, the reputation for using will follow him and it will stain the entire sport for it.
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