Washington Nationals reliever Daniel Hudson missed Game 1 of the NLCS to be with his wife for the birth of their child. The Nationals won the game despite his absence and he returned without any issues for Game 2, which saw him record the last two outs of Washington’s 3-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Hudson’s decision to take paternity leave instead of staying in St. Louis for Game 1 brought some criticism from some for insufficient devotion to the team. These people were more or less shouted down online.
Fellow Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle had the last word, and he didn’t mince any words as he responded to Hudson’s critics.
Sean Doolittle with the final word on players taking paternity leave during the postseason:
"If your reaction to someone having a baby is anything other than, 'Congratulations, I hope everybody is healthy,' you're an a——."
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) October 13, 2019
Doolittle, who has never been shy about stating an honest opinion, is on the mark here. Even though we’re in the most important part of the season, Hudson’s family takes precedent.
