Any doubt now as to who has the better Upton? Not only is B.J.’s little (younger) brother Justin an obviously better hitter, but he’s a better presence. Justin doesn’t have hustle issues, the sort that can influence outcomes and impact clubhouses.
B.J. reminded fans and family members on Sunday–against his brother’s Arizona Diamondbacks–that he can regress to Planet Upton at any moment. He personally converted an Arizona double into a triple by loafing after a ball hit into the gap. Worse yet, the fallout from the nonchalant effort carried over into the dugout. Imagine getting into an embarrassing, high-visibility shouting match with Evan Longoria, the most popular player in Rays’ history.
We’ve seen this before. B.J. Upton is a very well-paid professional athlete who periodically can’t be bothered to hustle. And it’s still happening? And he’s hitting .225?
Makes you wonder what, if anything, he has learned since his turbulent days with Durham buddies Delmon Young and Elijah Dukes. Makes you also wonder what can be expected going forward when even a family-reunion game wasn’t enough motivation to go all out all the time?
Sibling rivalry? Hardly helps when younger brother is the adult.