Professional athletes are people, too: When they’re in new cities, they’ll play tourist and check out the local sites.
That’s what Brandon Kintzler was doing in San Diego on Monday during the Minnesota Twins’ off-day before their series against the Padres. But Kintzler’s San Diego tour was abruptly interrupted that afternoon when Twins dealt their All-Star reliever to the Washington Nationals just before Major League Baseball’s non-waiver trade deadline.
So, how did Kintzler find out he’d been traded? Well, uh …
Not a joke: Brandon Kintzler just told me he was "On a safari feeding a rhino" when he got the call that he was traded. #Nationals #MLB
— Casey Stern (@CaseyStern) July 31, 2017
What was Brandon Kintzler doing when he found out he was traded? Feeding a rhino, of course.#Nationals #Twins
🎙https://t.co/RRy9rJIoOz pic.twitter.com/SRD0bRpMs1
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) July 31, 2017
Yup. During an interview on MLB Network shortly after the trade, Kintzler admitted he was “feeding a rhino” when he got the news. Unless he managed to teleport to Africa, we’ll assume the right-hander was at San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park, which is a short drive north of the city and features an exotic collection of wildlife.
That must have been quite the shock for Kintzler, but such is life for a coveted reliever — Washington is the 33-year-old veteran’s third team in under three years. The Nats currently are in Miami for a set against the Marlins, so maybe Kintzler can stop by the Everglades and feed a few crocodiles before meeting up with his new team.
Thumbnail photo via Jesse Johnson/USA TODAY Sports Images
