New Cincinnati Reds outfielder Yasiel Puig is quirky on the field. His animated behavior is as big a part of his persona as his in-game skills, and Puig's most notable habit is licking and talking to his bat.
He revealed, however, that he doesn't lick his bat because he likes it. Instead, it's a form of punishment, according to Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
"There’s something good (to hit) and I miss it, I lick my bat, or I try to talk to my bat like, 'Hey, if you can give me something good right in this moment,'" Puig told a group of kids at the Reds' urban youth academy this past week. "He listens to me - I believe so - and the next pitch, I hit a home run, or I put my team winning. That’s a reason I do lick the bat, but I don’t like it."
He said bat licking started as a superstition after a long at-bat against Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Taijuan Walker in the 2017 NLDS. He licked his bat following the eighth pitch, and then promptly hit a double on the next pitch.
Puig urged kids not to follow his lead.
"Don’t lick your bats. It’s nasty."
