Generally speaking, we like our baseball players to be polite and professional and maybe just a little bit weird. But then, sports are supposed to be all about competition and rivalries, and polite, professional athletes make it more difficult to take any rivalry seriously. So with that in mind, thank God for Mat Latos.
Is Mat Latos Baseball’s Best Villain?
We knew about the whole mercenaries thing, but I hadn’t heard about Latos’ autographs. And later in the article, we get this:
Asked if he really hates San Francisco, he said, “Dude, that’s old news,” although the news is hardly old.
Mat Latos hates the Giants, and the Giants - and their fans - hate Mat Latos. That mutual hostility helps foment a rivalry that makes being a fan of the Giants or Padres - or even just observing them - all the more invigorating. Real hatred! Real emotion! Latos may be wildly immature, but for as long as he’s acting this way, he gives the game some color it sorely lacks.
I mean, Latos is clearly a villain, at least as far as the Giants are concerned. And who are the game's other villains? Brandon Phillips called the Cardinals "little bitches" last year, so he counts. But who else? I guess Alex Rodriguez is kind of a villain to everybody, and Nyjer Morgan is insane and dangerous, but I can't think of any other players off the top of my head. Jonny Gomes has potential, but he apologized to the Cardinals when it was reported that he was celebrating the Adam Wainwright injury. He apologized.
Mat Latos may eventually grow out of this little phase. Personally, I hope that he doesn’t. Like enforcers in hockey, it’s fun to see a player who can angry up the blood.
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