Rod Carew has no use for Tom Brady baseball hypotheticals.
The Hall of Famer voiced his displeasure Tuesday with MLB tweeting about what Brady could have accomplished had he played baseball after being drafted by the Expos in 1995.
MLB is leaning into the Brady alternative reality as part of the release of the Topps Bowman “Dream Draft Picks” card release, which features Brady with the Expos.
“What does this say about baseball?” Carew wrote in a quote tweet of an MLB post.
“Maybe I am just a grumpy old man – and I respect Tom Brady – but is baseball so unpopular that we have to pretend a football player was a baseball player to get attention?”
To promote the release of the Brady-Expos card, Fanatics unveiled a commercial that showcased a world where Brady, the football G.O.A.T., had similar success in MLB.
The Expos selected Brady in the 18th round of the 1995 MLB Draft but he instead chose football, a wise decision.
The official MLB X account posted a graphic Tuesday – on Brady Day (12.12) – with a photo of Brady in an Expos jersey with his NFL stats in baseball terms: 649 homers (touchdowns), seven-time World Series champ (Super Bowls), five-time World Series MVP (Super Bowl MVP), 23 seasons, three-time MVP and 15-time All-Star (Pro Bowler).
“Welcome to the Bradyverse,” the post read.
“@Topps created a world in which Tom Brady, who was drafted by the Expos, played an entire MLB career. Can you imagine this?! 🤣 #BradyDay.”
Carew’s criticism, while perhaps misguided, is one that has been levied against baseball for many years.
Baseball has struggled with marketing some of its players, with Angels superstar Mike Trout often being referenced as the prime example.
Meanwhile, the NFL machine prevents any of its top players from flying under the radar.
Carew certainly experienced that feeling while playing for the Twins and Angels, two teams that struggle with national relevance.
The former MVP hit .328 with a .393 on-base percentage and .429 slugging percentage during his 19-season career from 1967-85.
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