The Atlanta Braves have been a bit of a mixed bag in the early MLB season. While their 3.8 runs per game are tied for 19th, they rank seventh in batting average (.259).
Notably, every hit has come with a head-scratching celebration, literally. Braves players scratch their heads in disbelief every single time they get a base hit, and it’s become pretty obvious that it’s not a coincidence.
That’s why, when asked about the origins of this new gig, Venezuelan superstar Ronald Acuna didn’t hesitate to point the finger at the mastermind behind it:
“[Michael] Harris [II],” Acuna told MLB.com’s Mark Bowman.
Harris, however, didn’t have an interesting story to explain the reasoning behind this literal head-scratcher. It just sort of happened:
“There’s no, like, true meaning,” Harris admitted, “It’s just something we played around with. We didn’t really know what we wanted to do going into the games. I don’t know. We just did that in the dugout.”
“…The last week of Spring Training, we were trying to figure it out,” he continued. “Nobody had anything. We didn’t have anything going into Opening Day. But then that happened, and we just kept using it. It was just a game-time thing.”
The Braves will hope to do plenty of head-scratching this season. They got off to an inconsistent 3-2 start to the season, and injuries might take a toll on their ability to compete early on.
Also, Acuna Jr. has had a tough time at the plate since his spectacular run in the World Baseball Classic. Through 22 plate appearances, he’s slashed .167/.273/.222 with three hits, one run, one stolen base, and one RBI.
That said, it’s just a matter of time before he returns to his usual MVP-caliber self, and there should be a lot of head-scratching in his future.
