Yasiel Puig goes crazy celebrating Monica Puig's historic gold medal
Though being demoted to Triple A wasn’t an ideal scenario for Yasiel Puig, it has afforded him opportunities he may not have otherwise had.
For example, Puig spent some time bonding with his new teammates at Oklahoma City this week by hunting Pokemon. Could you imagine Puig chasing Pokemon around Los Angeles? Highly unlikely, as we’re sure his schedule was typically full.
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Here’s another big advantage. While the Dodgers were playing an afternoon game on Saturday, Puig was free to watch the Olympics and cheer on his favorite tennis player, Monica Puig.
No, the two are not related, but sharing a last name can still create a bond or at least stir some emotions. That’s especially true given the historic overtones of Monica Puig’s match in Rio. The 22-year-old tennis star was attempting to become the first-ever gold medalist in Puerto Rico’s Olympic history when she squared off against Germany’s Angelique Kerber.
How did she do?
We’ll let Yasiel Puig tell the story.
Happy for @MonicaAce93 She's the best #VivaPuig #GoldenPuig pic.twitter.com/qO5KATRsHM
— Yasiel Puig (@YasielPuig) August 13, 2016
Go crazy, Yasiel! Go crazy.
Puig won match in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. The victory is considered a pretty big upset in the tennis ranks as Puig entered the match 34th in the world, while Kerber came in at No. 2. You’d never know that though based on Puig running away in the third set. Puig won the first five games of the third set before clinching the match in a tiebreaker.
From there, the celebration was on, with the Cuban Yasiel Puig leading the charge from Oklahoma City’s clubhouse. Monica Puig probably couldn’t feel his support, but she’ll soon be uplifted by an entire country that’s proud of her historic accomplishment.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!