Castellanos explains ring celebration: 'Why would I give the middle finger?'
Nick Castellanos had a pair of hits and knocked in a run to help the Philadelphia Phillies win Game 1 of their wild-card series against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday.
Castellanos slid into second base on a double in the fourth inning and flashed a finger toward the Phillies dugout. It initially looked like he was throwing up his middle finger at his teammates.
Nick Castellanos' celebration 😂 pic.twitter.com/EGywkvAwbL
— ESPN (@espn) October 4, 2023
Castellanos clarified the celebration postgame, saying he was holding up his ring finger as the Phillies pursue a World Series title.
"Of course it was the ring finger," Castellanos said, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia. "Why would I give the middle finger to my teammates? I love them."
Teammate Kyle Schwarber admitted he initially thought Castellanos was flipping the bird to the dugout.
Kyle Schwarber said when he saw Castellanos hold up a finger he was like “is he flipping us off?” Then he watched the replay back and counted the fingers to confirm it was actually the ring finger.
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) October 4, 2023
Castellanos: “That [a ring] is why we’re playing this month.”
The Phillies are looking to make it back to the World Series after falling to the Houston Astros in Game 6 in 2022.
Philadelphia will look to sweep the Marlins and advance to the NLDS when the two clubs square off in Game 2 on Wednesday.