Baseball fans awestuck by beauty of Robinson Cano exhibition game homer: "One of the prettiest swings ever" "Cano can still rake"
Robinson Cano is not currently on an MLB roster, but he's still hammering homers for the Dominican Republic.
Cano, on the Team Dominican Republic roster for the fourth consecutive World Baseball Classic, powered a graceful three-run home run over the left field wall in a 9-0 exhibition victory over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.
Robinson Cano’s 3-run homer is a thing of beauty https://t.co/EhFR0TCZUT
Cano, who turned 40 during the MLB playoffs in October, may not be the player who finished in the top six of the American League MVP voting for five consecutive seasons from 2010-2014, but he still has a sweet swing – a swing that baseball fans have not forgotten.
One of prettiest swings ever. twitter.com/talkinbaseball…
Cano can still rake twitter.com/talkinbaseball…
Sweetest swing in MLB history twitter.com/talkinbaseball…
Robinson Cano was a member of the Dominican Republic's 2013 WBC tournament title squad and looks to be ready to help his team win their second championship this March. Alghough he became a U.S. citizen in March 2012, he never wavered from a commitment to his native land, telling Bleacher Report:
"I still have to play for the Dominican, even if I didn’t want to. If I played for the U.S., I don’t think they would ever let me come home."
I swear this dude is transformed into a Hall of Famer every World Baseball Classic twitter.com/TalkinBaseball…
He’s on that shit twitter.com/talkinbaseball…
he’s ready twitter.com/talkinbaseball…
Robinson Cano has been suspended twice by MLB for violating the league's bylaws on the use of performance-enhancing drugs. As a member of the Seattle Mariners, he was suspended 80 games in 2018 for using Furosemide, and then was suspended again for the entire 2021 season after testing positive for Stanozolol while with the New York Mets.
He told the New York Times after his second suspension:
"I think the best lesson you can have is from yourself, when you make mistakes yourself."
Alas, many fans won't forget those transgressions.
@TalkinBaseball_ Probably shot up before that AB
Are they not testing for steroids in the WBC? 😐😐😐 twitter.com/TalkinBaseball…
@TalkinBaseball_ Incoming random drug test
However, with New York Yankees fans facing another season of Aaron Hicks in left field, at least one wouldn't mind the team bringing Cano back where it all started in 2005.
@Yankees you know what to do lol twitter.com/talkinbaseball…
Robinson Cano's MLB days likely over
The 2023 World Baseball Classic may be Robinson Cano's final playing days, unless an MLB team takes a Hail Mary on him to provide some pop off the bench this season.
Cano bounced around three different teams last season after returning from his second PED suspension, but played just 33 total games with the Mets, San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves.
For his career, Cano is hitting .301 with 335 home runs and 1,306 RBIs. He is an eight-time All-Star and won an All-Star Game MVP award. He's also won five Silver Slugger and two Gold Glove awards.