"It was something that just kind of stuck" - Rays All-Star Randy Arozarena reveals how his signature pose came to be
Tampa Bay Rays slugger Randy Arozarena is coming off a spectacular 2023 season. Through 151 games, he hit .254/.364/.425 with a career-high 23 home runs and 83 RBIs.
While being a menace at the plate, Arozarena often celebrated, whether it was an extra-base hit or a home run. His signature celly included him posing with his arms crossed.
Arozarena discussed how the pose came to be with MLB Network during its spring training tour. While many athletes think long and hard about their celebrations, this one came to be rather seamless.
"It was something just just kind of happened, and I didn't really plan for it," Arozarena said. "It was actually a Rays employee that helped with it in the photo session. She told me to cross my arms, and it was just something that kind of stuck."
A team employee helping with a photo shoot was the reason for Arozarena's arms-crossed celebration. The employee could not have imagined that he would take the suggestion and run with it.
It has been something that fans and his teammates have gotten in on. Whenever Arozarena hit a homer last season, at least one teammate was waiting for him with arms crossed to greet him.
Randy Arozarena is quickly becoming the face of the Rays
Randy Arozarena is quickly becoming a star for the Tampa Bay Rays. He is a great player and a great role model for younger athletes to look up to.
The club views Arozarena in such a good light that it dedicated a cheering section to him named "Randy Land." The section is located in left field and is available every Friday during the regular season.
Last year, when the team announced the fan section, Arozarena blasted a home run against the New York Yankees. Fans should expect much more of this during the 2024 season.
Another thing fans should look out for is the All-Star outfielder becoming more aggressive on the basepaths this season. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported the team is focusing on being more aggressive as a whole. With the new bases introduced last year, Arozarena stole 22 bags, 10 less than he did during the 2022 season.
Arozarena has the speed to be up there with the best of them. Expect him to put his name in the hat for most stolen bases at the end of the year.