Nick Castellanos delivers quote of the year after brawl with Yadier Molina

Nick Castellanos has already given us the greatest quote of the year about Yadier Molina.

After the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals had a bench-clearing brawl, right fielder Nick Castellanos unleashed the best quote of the season about backstop Yadier Molina.

Castellanos was tossed in this brawl, but his Reds went on to win 9-6 on Saturday afternoon in Cincinnati. For a guy best known for hitting a home run in the middle of a Thom Brennaman on-air apology, Castellanos makes the headlines again with this incredible quote. “That guy could have punched me in the face and I’d still ask him for a signed jersey.” I mean, Molina is a great player.

Nick Castellanos would take a shiner, only if it came with a Yadier Molina jersey

In a story as old as time, you never want to meet your heroes. Odds are, they are never going to live up to the expectations you had of them in your head. God forbid, you have to fight your hero because it is “part of your job” description. Well, here we are. Castellanos woke up the day before Easter thinking it was going to be just another day at the Great American Ball Park. He was wrong.

To have the stones to ask a full-grown man for a signed jersey after he punches you in the face like he hates your guts means you are shameless and a better man than me. It might be more awkward than Brennaman’s home run call, but that is just part of Castellanos’ big-league career now. He must lean into the awkwardness and asked for a signed Yadi jersey. . .without getting hit.

I mean, if your blood is all over a guy’s jersey, then the least he can do for you is sign the thing.