Baez Pranked, Still Playing Great Baseball

For those of you who have played on a baseball team of any level, you know the subtle rules:

Rookies get pranked – that’s just how it is, and that’s how it always will be.

A few classics come to mind when I think of rookie pranks. The hot foot, the “gum in the hat” trick, replacing seeds with… well just about anything are all dugout legends in their own right.

Of course, as long as no one is hurt and the prank is laughed at by all participating parties, it really helps players bond as a team. Plus who doesn’t want to cut loose when you’re with the boys?

Javier Baez was subjected to a pretty elaborate prank just recently which has a lot of us in stitches. Mr. Baez drives a pretty fancy white Mercedes Benz that really isn’t so white anymore. I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

These are courtesy of Rafael Lopez‘s twitter account. Outstanding.

How anyone pulls off such a prank is beyond me but this is pretty fantastic.

Even with the boys being boys, Baez continues to put on a pretty good show in spring training. He’s posted a .310/.333/.552 triple slash in 30 PA, which is roughly what he’d be capable of at a major league level, ignoring the small sample size of course.

What continues to impress me is his defensive prowess. He saw some action on 3B yesterday vs the Diamondbacks and made more than a couple outstanding plays. He showed off his arm, but also showed his baseball IQ by taking smart paths to the ball which allowed him to make more productive outs. All in all, it’s great to see such a young, raw talent play at a good level and yet still be so unrefined. The guy is a future monster.

Although Baez doesn’t have a shot at the bigs just yet, rest assured he is gaining experience in spring training that will be valuable to him for the duration of his career. The Cubs are very focused on ensuring this kid blossoms under their power.