Former teammate calls out star who ‘literally hates baseball’

Anthony Rendon was called out by one of his former teammates on Sunday for his feelings on the sport of baseball.

In an appearance on the Jack Vita Show, Rendon was asked what he would change about Major League Baseball. The Los Angeles Angels infielder started by saying, “I’m gonna say something very lighthearted, so I don’t get in trouble” before answering the question.

“We gotta shorten the season, man,” Rendon said. “It’s too many dang games — 162 games in 185 days — whatever it is. Man, no. We gotta shorten this bad boy up. Let’s go.”

Naturally, this got noticed.

Jared Carrabis on Twitter/X, saying “nobody hates baseball more than one of the game’s highest paid players who gets paid not to play.”

Jonathan Papelbon, who played with Rendon on the Washington Nationals over the 2015 and 2016 seasons, corroborated Carrabis’ take.

“I can definitely confirm Carrabis here…,” he said. “Played with Rendon and literally hates baseball. Yeah it’s long isn’t that what you signed up for??? Just tell the team you want to play half the season and give back half your salary!!!!!”

Papelbon’s criticism of his former teammate caught people’s attention.

While the season may be longer than he’d like it to be, Rendon hasn’t played 162 games, or anything close to it, for a while. Rendon played in 52 of 60 games in 2020’s COVID-19 shortened, his first with the Angels. In the three subsequent seasons, he’s played a combined 148 games and failed to get to even 50 games in both 2022 and 2023.

[Jack Vita Show, Jared Carrabis, Jonathan Papelbon]