A New York sports radio host on Monday revealed the gross pregame ritual he says one former MLB All-Star had while playing.
WFAN’s Craig Carton and Evan Roberts were talking on Monday about Carlos Correa’s comments about Derek Jeter that drew attention. Correa made his comments during an interview with former MLB player Carlos Baerga.
Upon realizing that Correa’s interview was conducted by Baerga, Carton was compelled to tell a story about the former Cleveland Indians All-Star.
Carton claims (about 13:30 in to the clip) that he was friendly with former Indians pitcher Charles Nagy, who once showed him about Baerga’s odd ritual.
According to Carton, Nagy brought him into a certain part of the locker room before a game to show him something private, something Nagy told him the radio host would not be allowed to talk about.
Carton claims he kept quiet about what he witnessed until now … nearly 30 years later.
Carton says he went towards the trainers’ room at Nagy’s urging and heard a sound.
“As I walk towards the trainers’ room, I hear this [rhythmic banging sound],” Carton said.
The host claimed that some players were following him as he approached the room. He says there was a metal, circular swiveling stool in the room.
“Carlos Baerga is sitting on top of one of those stools, and his baseball pants are down around his ankles,” Carton recalled. “In his hand, is what could very well be a baseball bat, but is much smaller and is attached to his body. And he is slapping it against the doctor’s stool, rhythmically.
“So, I of course stare at it a second or two longer than I should have, and I turn around, and half the Indians roster is behind me, all laughing hysterically. [Baerga] keeps going though! He doesn’t stop!
“I go back to Nagy, ‘what’s that?’ He goes, ‘pregame ritual. Nobody asks, nobody wants to know.'”
Carton claims he doesn’t believe he was being pranked because Baerga kept on going and didn’t stop or laugh.
This story has never been shared or told anywhere else, so it’s up to you whether you believe Carton. At minimum, he is a very good storyteller.
Baerga was a fantastic player too. He was a lifetime .292 hitter and made three All-Star teams as the Indians’ second baseman. He was a big part of the 1995 team that lost to the Braves in the World Series.
Photo: Oct 26, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians former player Carlos Baerga throws out the ceremonial first pitch before game two of the 2016 World Series against the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
