Phillies Player Destroyed TV That Players Used For ‘Fortnite’
A lot of parents are so sick of their kids playing Fortnite all the time that they would love to destroy the TV that they use for it. Last season, one veteran baseball player made that fantasy come true.
According to an ESPN report Monday by reporter Jeff Passan, one Philadelphia Phillies player, Carlos Santana, was so outraged to see younger players playing Fortnite in the clubhouse during games, while the team was in the midst of a long losing streak, that he destroyed a television with a baseball bat.
Santana, who played for the Phillies last year and has since been traded to the Cleveland Indians, told Passan that he smashed the TV with a bat out of anger that players had been playing the popular video game during the game that the team had lost to the Atlanta Braves. The game was the Phillies’ ninth consecutive loss, as part of a losing streak that took them out of postseason contention in the 2018 season. The Phillies were in first place in the National League East as late as August 12, but collapsed down the stretch and missed the playoffs.
Santana did not name the players involved. A veteran first baseman who was 31-years-old during his only season with Philadelphia, Santana was considered a disappointment during his brief Phillies tenure, and was traded after the season as part of a deal that brought shortstop Jean Segura to Philadelphia. The deal also meant that Rhys Hoskins, who played left field in 2018, could return to his natural position at first base.
It’s not known if the players involved are still with the team, but the Phillies underwent a significant roster overhaul in the offseason, with superstar Bryce Harper joining the franchise on a record-breaking 13-year, $330 million contract, and the team also bringing in catcher J.T. Realmuto.
Carlos Santana smashed a TV with a bat because the Phillies were playing Fortnite during games: https://t.co/7J19ii8Psq pic.twitter.com/FKYNXb8Wpc
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) March 18, 2019
“I’ve never seen that in my life — during the game, playing video games,” Santana said in the ESPN story. “It’s not professional. Each team is everybody all together. I understand we’re eliminated for the season, but you have to have pride.”
Manager Gabe Kapler convened a group of team leaders in spring training this year to hammer out rules about when players can be in the clubhouse during games, among other issues.
The Fortnite/smashed TV incident was never reported by anyone in the local or national media at the time that it happened, or afterwards, until this week.
