Sun's out, tongues out: Yasiel Puig's brand is strong on World Series stage

LOS ANGELES — Wearing a T-shirt prominently displaying his face — mouth open, tongue wagging — Yasiel Puig once again demonstrated why, love him or hate him, it’s hard to take your eyes off him.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ mercurial outfielder began his interview session at Monday’s World Series media day by insisting that hitting coach Turner Ward, sitting at the next table, come over and give him a kiss on the cheek, a role reversal of their regular-season habit after Puig homers.

Then Puig went on to validate his claim that he’s “the most dramatic player in Major League Baseball,’’ answering questions in Spanish and English, often offering colorful remarks, others times sticking to the company line, depending on how the mood struck him.

In his fifth season in the majors, the 26-year-old Puig showed improved maturity at the plate — he produced a career-high 28 homers and a .833 on-base plus slugging percentage — while playing outstanding defense and mostly avoiding the disruptive behavior that got him banished to the minors in 2016.

“I love being around him," said utility infielder Charlie Culberson, the locker mate Puig referred to as his best friend on the team. He, too, sported a custom Puig T-shirt on Monday.

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“He’s got a good heart. He’s just a big kid being able to play baseball."

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Here’s a sampling of what the “Wild Horse," so named by legendary broadcaster Vin Scully, shared with the news media on a variety of subjects:

On reports that the ball will carry well the next two days because of the expected hot weather:

“If you don’t hit the ball, how do you know?"

On the excitement surrounding the World Series:

“Everybody’s excited, the cameramen, the reporters wearing suits and sweating in the heat. To me it’s going to be another game. You have to have a good time. I’m just going to do my crazy stuff on the field and have everybody come out with their tongues out and have fun."

On the origin of his tongue-wagging antics:

“I always have some crazy ideas. That’s why I’m the most dramatic player in Major League Baseball. I kept running after I hit a simple grounder past third base and when I slid into third I was tired, like a dog when it runs a lot and hangs its tongue, so I did that. It was a fun thing to do at the moment."

On why he doesn’t watch baseball on TV, preferring to watch soccer, basketball and especially soap operas:

“I don’t like watching baseball games. I’ve been playing since I was born. You get tired spending so many hours at the ballpark playing baseball, focusing on baseball, so you don’t feel like also watching baseball when you get home."

On whether he dreams Dodger blue:

“I dream blue and they (the Houston Astros) dream orange. There’s only one trophy and it’s golden. Whoever plays best will get it."

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