Few Atlanta Braves former rivals elicit quite the visceral reaction of former Miami Marlins starter José Ureña. The starter is remembered best for his one-sided rivalry with Ronald Acuña Jr. The starter chose to prevent the young star's incredible leadoff homer streak by aggressively plunking the Atlanta leadoff hitter. It was unprofessional and reeked of a sport that was unable to handle exciting young personalities. Putting Atlanta's star in harm's way when the outfielder hadn't done anything to earn being thrown at quickly put Ureña atop the list of the team's hated rivals.
The choice was so obviously egregious that the league stepped in with a suspension in hopes of preventing future situations. The starter's run in Miami was short-lived, with the veteran making stops with the Tigers, Rockies, Brewers, White Sox, Rangers, Blue Jays, and Mets. Unable to get his career back on track, the veteran attempted a return to the Blue Jays before being designated for assignment after his latest underwhelming performance.
Braves Rival José Ureña Has Hit Another Career Roadblock After Latest Demotion
Given a choice between going to the minor leagues or hitting free agency, the former Marlin chose to become a free agent. In truth, this is probably the right choice when you look at the level of desperation for capable pitching throughout the league. Despite the starter's continued irrelevance, another chance will be given based on the need at the position.
For Atlanta, the starter is a footnote in what started the rise of the Atlanta team and the career of the 2023 MVP. The 2018 season was long ago, however, it was when this team still had every piece of its core intact and real hopes of World Series contention. It is easy amid the current struggles to have a certain level of nostalgia for this group.
It serves as a reminder, as well, that it was Brian Snitker leading the dugout onto the field after seeing his star player purposely plunked. This is the type of fiery leadership today's team is missing and must find its way back to. Otherwise, just like the career of Ureña, the Braves are in trouble.