Baseball said farewell to one of the best hitters of the 2010s last week. Michael Brantley decided to call it a career after 15 seasons of professional baseball. There aren't many people who know what Brantley is like as a teammate better than Cleveland Guardians centerfielder Myles Straw.
The two never played in Cleveland together, but Brantley and Straw were teammates for the Houston Astros during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Straw was still finding his was in the league, but Brantley made sure to take him under his wing and show Myles that he belonged.
Straw shared one of his favorite Brantley stories during an appearance on MLB Network Radio.
"I was out in New York and he just saw us in there and was basically just like 'Get whatever you want.' I'm like, 'Dude, no. I'm good.' He's like 'Myles, get whatever you want.' So he bought me a pair of like, just a really nice pair of Gucci shoes you know that I still wear to this day."
This account wasn't out of the ordinary for Brantley to do for his teammates. Especially for the young players on the roster.
"It's times like that would always come up with him. You know, he'd always take us to dinner and just treat the younger guys. You know he was just a great role model," said Myles.
Fans will always remember Brantley for the player he was on the field. However, it's clear from listening to his teammates that Dr. Smooth's impact went well beyond that.
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