Yasiel Puig continues hitting the headlines in Major League Baseball (MLB). He has been on fire so far this season, but right now, he is the biggest media seduction of MLB.
In a luxurious city like Los Angeles, where stars emerge literally from the floor, Puig has emerged as an iconic figure. I previously said he has been formidably well at hitting, fielding and running the bases, but now he is also the host, the man in charge of receiving the illustrious guests arriving to the mega -city.
First, some days ago, rapper Jay-Z dedicated him a song, later his name becomes national debate in the United States to include him in the all star game and now he receives on home soil at DodgerStadium the athlete with the most followers on Twitter, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
The context was more than sung. The soccer club Real Madrid is having its preseason in L.A. and this same city is, casually, or not as casually as merchandising demands, the venue of the game between the Dodgers (locals) and the New York Yankees.
CR7 was the special guest of the night and Puig, together with the famous actor Samuel L. Jackson, would be responsible for welcome the Lusitanian and introducing him to Magic Johnson, NBAemblem and current General Manager of the Dodgers franchise.
After the preambles, photos, greetings and poses . Cristiano Ronaldo and Yasiel Puig delighted the public making fancy footwork with a soccer ball and the Cuban also proved to be in tune with soccer.
“Pass me the ball, pass me the ball …” Puig said while throwing his cap to the ground. Trying to imitate, on his own way and shamelessly, demonstrating Cuban street soccer he once practiced in the island, at some point in life, will be worth of something.
Later Puig tried CR7 to catch some balls thrown by him: “Hey, throw hard, fearless, as when you kick the ball, “the Cuban told Cristiano, but the posture and face of the Portuguese showed an absolute misunderstanding, both of Puig´s dialect and also because CR7 proved he had ever played baseball nor in Madeira, Lisbon, Manchester or Madrid.
Then they went through one of the gates of the Dodgers dugout leading to the club house to make some swings. In the batting cage, Ronaldo looked better, he hit the ball, although with no style at all and then Puig, after demonstrating his batting skills , gave the Real Madrid player a bat signed by him.
Minutes before the game between the Dodgers and Yankees, the golden ball of 2008 made the inaugural pitch. Yasiel Puig was behind the plate to catch Cristiano Ronaldo’s fastball and then walked tothe box to give the ball to CR7 as souvenir.
On the way to the dugout, the Cuban took his black glove to the face, rather to the mouth, hiding the movement of his lips, maybe just to conceal a little the gratitude for the visit. The fact is that despitegame and advertising image statistics, it’s too early for Puig to has already assumed the idea of stardom.
