CLEVELAND, Ohio — When his Philadelphia Phillies teammates were playing “Fortnite” in the clubhouse during a nine-game losing streak last season, Carlos Santana took matters into his own hands, living out the fantasy of every parent whose kid has an unhealthy obsession with the popular video game.

According to a report by Jeff Passan of ESPN, Santana grabbed a bat and smashed a TV in the Phillies clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park in September following a loss to Atlanta.

“We come and lose too many games, and I feel like they weren’t worried about it. Weren’t respecting their teammates or coaches or the staff or the (front) office,” Santana told Passan. “It’s not my personality. But I’m angry because I want to make it good.”

The Phillies acknowledged that the incident took place on Sept. 28, Passan wrote. It sheds a little light on manager Gabe Kapler’s cryptic pledge to set stricter “boundaries” for the team this season after the signing of Bryce Harper and trading for J.T. Realmuto.

ESPN says Carlos Santana came in to Phillies clubhouse and smashed a TV because some players were playing Fortnite during a game late in the season.



We now know some of the tighter “boundaries” that Gabe Kapler said he was going to enforce this year👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/I8cdzVm6be — John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) March 18, 2019

Rhys Hoskins and Jake Arrieta said they weren't aware teammates played Fortnite during games last season, but they acknowledged that Carlos Santana bashed a couple TVs with a bat because of it, referring to today's ESPN story. They said they have more rules in place this year. — Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) March 18, 2019

Arrieta also acknowledged that Carlos Santana did, in fact, smash a TV after the third-to-last game of the season. But, according to Arrieta, it happened "late at night, well after everybody had left." Arrieta also says he wishes Santana had come to him to discuss. — Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) March 18, 2019

Meanwhile, Santana is poised to become somewhat of a cult hero to millions of parents everywhere who allow their sons and daughters to fritter away endless hours in front of screens playing “Fortnite.”

Carlos Santana took a bat to the Phillies Clubhouse TV because players were playing Fortnite during a game they were losing. Legend.



*sends Passan's article to my 13 y.o son Matt and moves his wooden bat next to the tv for dramatic effect. — Lisa (@RollTribe2019_) March 18, 2019

Just got off the phone with my wife, who had this to say about the story that Carlos Santana smashed a TV because he was angry that his Phillies teammates were playing Fortnite: "That guy is every mom across the United States. That guy is my spirit animal." — Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 18, 2019

This just in - Carlos Santana would make WAY more money smashing TV's for parents of Fortnite players than he ever will playing baseball. — DC Matthews (@TheDCMatthews) March 18, 2019

Santana was traded from Philadelphia to Seattle and eventually back to Cleveland in the offseason, and has appeared exceedingly happy about his return to the Indians. In the Tribe clubhouse, Mike Clevinger and Roberto Perez are among the players known to enjoy playing a spirited round or two of “Fortnite” from time to time, but their video game playing does not appear to spill over into a game-time obsession.

Cleveland’s most notorious gamer, however, doesn’t count “Fortnite” as his drug of choice. All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez is more of a “Mario Kart” kind of guy, regularly challenging teammates, clubbies and the occasional reporter to a spirited race or two.

If Santana has any designs on smashing Cleveland’s arcade-style “Mario Kart” setup in the clubhouse, he’d best check with King Koopa himself first.