Elly De La Savior Has Me Laughing

Incredulously

Superman

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Occasionally, an athlete will do something so significant and obviously nutty, the only appropriate reaction is laughter. Incredulous laughter.

Michael Jordan evoked incredulous laughter on a nightly basis. Tom Brady, playing beat the clock in a huge game, was evocative. So is Nikola Jokic, 6-foot-11, currently owning the NBA. Last night, Jokic became the first player in NBA history to finish a Finals game with at least 30 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists. He had 32 points on 12-of-21 shooting, 21 rebounds and10 assists. That cracks me up.

And now, Elly De La Cruz. I watched last night — who wasn’t watching last night, as the kid approached the plate to face Noah Syndergaard? — just to see the Elly Show. Radio sound up, TV sound down, appropriately Sadak-proofed, I’d barely popped Keystone #1 and. . . Elly cranks a 458-foot line drive into the last row of seats in the moon deck in right.

What?

It was so perfectly impressive, unlikely and downright silly, there was nothing to do but laugh. Only the rare jocks make us laugh.

I have no idea who this kid will be 10 years down the road, or five. I mean, Aristides Aquino had the best one-month career I’ve ever seen. He hit moonshots, too. Last I heard, Aquino was playing in Japan.

But right now, it’s like having a front-row seat to the dawning of the world.

Oh, Doc. Please.

You know what I mean. De La Cruz has the talent and the charisma to make baseball cool again in the Republic of Cincinnati. In my recollection, only another Number 44 had that ability to make us stop everything and watch him perform.

In 1986, nobody on the planet was better at baseball than Eric Davis. But Eric did not have the bubbles Elly does. He was not a naturally effusive personality. Eric’s self came out on the field. In 487 plate appearances, The Red hit 27 homers, scored 97 runs, stole 80 bases and caught everything that stayed in the ballpark. Top that.

But this kid is erupting everywhere, with nary a self-conscious concern.

He’s adding to what is already a curious confidence in the home dugout. For a team that’s 4-under .500, these Reds sure do like themselves. Not a criticism, just an observation.

You could cite that as a reason they’ve rallied so often to win games late. I could suggest that in the past two nights anyway, it’s had more to do with LA’s blow-torch bullpen. Regardless, the spirit is infectious and spreading.

“The energy is immaculate,” said Will Benson.

Immaculate?

Immaculate: 1.

: spotlessly clean

an immaculate kitchen

OK, then. The Reds are a kitchen.

GM Nick Krall, responding to a question, said Wednesday night that The Club hasn’t ruled out being a buyer at the deadline. Which of course opens another can of dreams. A team that lost 100 times last year is at least considering adding proven talent for a playoff run?

Talk about incredulous laughter.

Reds fans are expunging all their pent-up frustration in one mighty whoosh of feelgood. They/we are getting ahead of ourselves. Who could blame us?

The reality is, the starting pitching is seriously lacking. And with all due respect, you might expect some big regression from some of the hitters currently sticking it to Los Angeles.

Maybe not Elly Antonio De La Cruz, pride of Sabana Grande de Boya, Dominican Republic. Who makes me laugh. And you, too, I suspect.

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MCILROY IS RIGHT. Here’s what Rory said Wednesday, in the wake of the PGA Tour’s alliance with LIV:

"I still hate LIV. Like, I hate LIV. I hope it goes away, and I would fully expect that it does. I think that's where the distinction here is. This is the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the PIF -- very different from LIV.

"It's hard for me to not sit up here and feel somewhat like a sacrificial lamb and feeling like I've put myself out there and this is what happens.

"There still has to be consequences to actions," McIlroy said. "The people that left the PGA Tour irreparably harmed this tour, started litigation against it. Like, we can't just welcome them back in. That's not going to happen."

Can’t add much to that, except Amen, bubba.

MEANTIME. . . There was this exchange between CNN’s Caitlan Collins and LIV-er Bryson DeChambeau. (BTW, did anyone miss that guy when he left the PGA? Does anyone care that he’s back, presumably?)

"(The Saudis) are accused of financing terrorism," Collins said. "They’re also accused of killing Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi. How do you feel knowing that is where the money is backed by?"

“I mean look, it’s unfortunate what has happened but that is not something I can necessarily speak on because I’m a golfer," DeChambeau said. "What I can say is that, what they’re trying to do, what they're trying to work on is be better allies, because we are allies with them. I’m not going to get into the politics of it, I’m not specialized in it. But what I can say is they’re trying to do good for the world and showcase themselves in a light that hasn’t been seen in a while. Nobody is perfect but we’re all trying to improve in life."

I’m sure we’re all heartened to hear the Saudis are trying to do good for the world. Rock on, Bryson.

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SENDING OUT THE BAT SIGNAL to all youse Mobsters who’ve been to Italy, Namely Tuscany and the Cinque Terre towns on the Riviera. This year’s Trip of a Lifetime commences a week from Saturday.

I’m one of those geek-boys who likes planning trips almost as much as taking them. We’ve got the basics down. Lodging, transportation, a couple restaurant reservations, a tour by ferry. What I need is details, inside stuff, things you can know only because you’ve been there.

I know now that most of the beaches cost money, if only to rent a chair and an umbrella. I know that some of the trails I looked forward to walking are closed. I know that just because it’s dry heat doesn’t mean it’s not really hot. What else?

TUNE O’ THE DAY. . . This guy had slipped off my radar and I’m guessing yours. I have to be in a certain rum/sun/beach mood to really enjoy him, but regardless, his stuff is highly agreeable.