Wander Franco flip play: Ray’s shortstop’s theater fails to impress Pirates’ Bryan Reynolds

During an 8-1 victory over the Pirates on Wednesday, star Ray’s shortstop Wander Franco provided a bit of razzle dazzle on an otherwise routine grounder. He basically just turned the ball to himself after the switch from mitt to bare hand before his throw to first put the otherwise simple 6-3 out to end the top of the seventh inning.

Here’s the play:

The batter for the Pirates on that grounder was All-Star Bryan Reynolds and he was asked about it after the game. He gave a simple verdict, via The Athletic.

‘I’ve seen it. It didn’t impress me.’

A play like that will always be polarizing and it went crazy on social media. On one side you have the people who believe that Franco’s game was “disrespectful” to the game and the opponent and was a bit too “showy” or something in that ballpark.

On the other hand – just to be clear, I’m on this team – you have the people who believe that this game is for our entertainment and if Franco can pull it off, more power to him. The easy response to the “he’s showing his opponent” whole thing is that these aren’t little kids, but instead adults who are professional athletes and if Reynolds doesn’t like it, he shouldn’t stop.

However, it seems that the debate will continue with the fire of thousands of suns, and I don’t care to get in the way. Did Franco’s game cross the imaginary line or was it all within the confines of the sport for our entertainment? Argue at will.