Xander Bogaerts breaks out popular 'Fortnite' dance to celebrate his hot start
The Tampa Bay Rays may have defeated the Boston Red Sox 6-4 on opening day, but one player still made them “Take the L.” Xander Bogaerts dropped a popular victory celebration from the video game “Fortnite” on the Rays in the middle of his big night.
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After smacking a double to kick off the seventh inning, Bogaerts turned toward the Red Sox’s dugout and did the “Take the L” dance from “Fortnite” while standing on second base.
Not sure why Bogaerts is shifting from his right leg to his left leg while holding his finger and thumb in an “L” shape on his forehead? Allow us to try and explain.
The move is a popular taunt from “Fortnite,” which is probably the most popular video game going right now. The game is a huge hit among Major League Baseball players. There have been numerous articles this spring about players who can’t seem to stop playing the game in their downtime.
The premise of the game is pretty simple. One hundred players get dropped on an island and then need to eliminate each other. The last one standing is crowned the winner.
When you win, the phrase “Victory Royale” pops up on the screen. The winner then gets 10 seconds to celebrate and taunt while their opponents look on. That’s when you usually see the “Take the L” dance.
In the case of Bogaerts’ celebration, we hesitate to say he was taunting the Rays. He was merely celebrating his big hit … and he had every reason to do that. Bogaerts looked rejuvenated in the Red Sox’s opener, going 3-for-3, with two doubles and a single. He scored two of the team’s four runs during the contest.
On base celebrations have become a pretty popular thing among teams in recent years. The Chicago White Sox started “stirring the pot” a few years back, and the New York Yankees adopted a thumbs down celebration after a fan in Tampa Bay disapproved of their performance last season.
Given the popularity of “Fortnite,” especially within MLB clubhouses, it was only a matter of time before we saw something like this. Bogaerts might have been the first do use the “Take the L” dance in a regular season game. There’s absolutely no way he’ll be the last.
If the tradition continues, other players may want to wait to do the victory dance when they are sure the game is over. The Red Sox’s bullpen blew a late lead in the ninth inning, allowing the Rays to come back for an extra-inning win.
In the end, Bogaerts’ taunt backfired. He was the one who walked away with the “L” on Thursday.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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