While professional athletes put the bulk of their attention and focus on their respective sport, they also tend to hold strong interests beyond the field. For Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Curtis Granderson, one of those is wrestling.
“My grandmother got me into it,” Granderson explained during an appearance on MLB Network’s “Play Ball” over the weekend. “She would come into town and babysit me, so my Dad would always record all the different Pay Per Views.
“At that time it was Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, Summer Slam and King of The Ring. Those were the big ones. The good thing about watching me was she always knew where I was at. But the bad thing, I was practicing these moves on pillows, and I was winning. I was undefeated.”
Granderson was joined on the episode by former New York Mets teammate A.J. Ramos. The right-hander closer shares a similar affinity for wrestling, that was developed at a young age. “You were suplexing pillows, I was suplexing my little brother,” Ramos said.
Later in the episode, Granderson provided hitting tips to WWE stars “The Hardy Boyz” and “Carmella.” If he were to pick a wrestling name, the 36-year-old opted for what he wore during Players Weekend, “GrandyMan.”
“It’s gotta be ‘The Grandyman.’ I’m gonna be very similar to Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka,” Granderson said. “I want to go off the top rope and just be flying on top of him.”
On previous “Play Ball” episodes, Justin Turner shared the story behind his celebration with Cody Bellinger, and Seattle Mariners All-Star Kyle Seager dished on growing up and competing against younger brother Corey Seager.
