LOS ANGELES — A day after the Giants made waves with an explicit celebration, their outfielders couldn’t have rung in a second straight win over the Dodgers in more of an opposite fashion.
Out with the hip thrusts, in with the bows.
“I like that,” manager Tony Vitello said after the 6-2 win Tuesday. “I like that, for sure.”
The skipper had his eyes elsewhere after the final out, but when informed of the respectful gesture that took the place of the barely-safe-for-work one from the previous night he provided his stamp of approval.
Jung Hoo Lee and Heliot Ramos converged with Drew Gilbert in center field, where the players dropped their gloves, placed their hands on their hearts and bent at the waist before joining the high-five line.
The change came after a team meeting where, among other topics, there was some disapproval expressed over what occurred on the same real estate the previous night.
Harrison Bader, Gilbert and Lee locked arms in a group hug and hip-thrusted five times, though the former two looked to be more enthusiastic about it than the latter, who eventually attempted to wiggle away.
“There was a meeting today,” Vitello said. “But that was a side note. It was a fun meeting. … We just need everybody on board [and to] kind of trust the overall process and approach we’re trying to take.”
Their original celebration went viral overnight, and by the time the team returned to Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, they were doing their best to divert attention toward their play on the field.
Before the game, Bader declined to comment on what took place the previous night and Gilbert said they planned to switch things up.
It didn’t take long for them to get another chance, with some apparent influence from Lee, whose Korean culture uses the gesture as a greeting and a sign of respect.
Vitello, in fact, has taken to bowing toward Lee, for which he expressed appreciation to The California Post.
If Monday’s act left Lee feeling uncomfortable, he didn’t show any indication the following night. He was about as animated as ever upon reaching second base after doubling home two runs in the seventh.
With Ramos hyping him up from a few steps in front of the dugout, Lee yelled and used an uppercut to punch the air with his right arm.
“The one thing about Jung Hoo … each day you’re around him, you realize how competitive he is,” Vitello said. “Maybe he doesn’t verbalize it as much and he’s not the quickest guy to slam his helmet or anything, but he is ultra competitive. … It’s fun to see that emotion.”
