St. Louis Cardinals: Molina in ‘throat-slashing gesture’ brouhaha

ST LOUIS, MO - SEPTEMBER 27: Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals reacts after flying out against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning at Busch Stadium on September 27, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MO - SEPTEMBER 27: Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals reacts after flying out against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning at Busch Stadium on September 27, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

A news story about St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina using a throat-slashing gesture after NLDS Game 4 is being uncritically reported by AP. Will it affect Game 5 in Atlanta?

St. Louis Cardinals catcher and team-leader Yadier Molina is being reported as having made a throat-slashing gesture at the Atlanta Braves in his walk-off victory celebration after NLDS Game 4 in St. Louis Monday evening. The report seems to have originated with the Associated Press but is being picked up by local TV news in both St. Louis and Atlanta.

This is in addition to seemingly credible evidence that Carlos Martinez and Ronald Acuna Jr. are in a private feud. Also, Martinez even blew a taunting kiss from the pitcher’s mound before his wind-up at Billy Hamilton.

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All of this drama seems to be culminating into a Game 5 matchup that might get testy after the bad blood that seems to be growing between the two teams.

Game 5 is scheduled for 4:02 CT on Wednesday in Atlanta and will be a repeat of the Game 2 matchup between Jack Flaherty and Mike Foltynewicz in the winner-take-all matchup.

Baseball was known as a gentlemanly sport which was even thought by American presidents as necessary for American morale in times of crisis.

More facts about the accuracy and significance of these throat-slashing/chest-slashing/feuding reports will probably come to light after the NLDS is over. But in the meantime, the reports’ effect on the competition between the Cardinals and Braves will be a subject of great interest in Game 5 on Wednesday night. And on-field security in Atlanta will no doubt be on alert at the game’s conclusion, no matter how it ends.

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