Sal: 'Freaking ridiculous' home run trots are getting out of control

The Yankees and Rays went back-and-forth with slow home run trots on Monday, as Jose Siri took his time around the bases before Juan Soto demolished a home run into the third deck in right field, and took 37 seconds to complete his trip around the bags.

Siri was booed loudly as he stopped on his way around third base after what was Tampa’s first hit of the game, and Soto responded in kind after his first of two home runs on the day. It was too much for Sal, who says the slow jogs around the bases are getting out of hand.

“I don’t have a problem with Juan Soto doing it, I have a problem with everybody doing it,” Sal said. “I think we’re out of control.

“If I’m playing, and everyone is like ‘I’m just being me,’ whether it’s Siri or Soto, who’s to say I hit one nine miles off of somebody, and I literally walk around the bases? Seriously, that’s next. Siri is stopping at third base and throwing his arms in the air celebrating. It’s gotten ridiculous.”

Sal says that if the game won’t police itself anymore, as in pitchers retaliating after hitters show them up with a dramatic home run trot, then the sport itself will have to come up with a rule to curtail the trend of players taking longer and longer to complete their journey around the diamond after a homer.

“There is no rule in place that stops anyone from walking around the bases, or moonwalking around the bases,” Sal said. “At some point, it’s getting so out of control…can we just calm it down a notch? The lid has been blown off. Someone has to step in and say ‘Guys, we let you be yourselves, but it’s getting freaking ridiculous.’”