Former Chicago Cubs infielder Justin Turner took to social media over the weekend to voice his displeasure with Wrigley Field fans after they offered a standing ovation to a St. Louis Cardinals player.
The moment came during Saturday’s series matchup when Cardinals prospect Joshua Baez made a historic major league debut against the Cubs.
Baez wasted no time announcing his arrival. In his first three career at-bats, the young outfielder launched three home runs, becoming the first player in Major League Baseball history to achieve a three-homer game in his debut.
The feat unfolded at Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs and longtime rivals of the Cardinals. Despite the damage being done to their own team, many in the crowd rose to their feet in appreciation of the rare accomplishment.
Turner, who spent time with the Cubs earlier in his career, was not impressed by the gesture.
He posted on X: “Wrigley Fans giving a standing ovation to Baez, a visiting player, who hit 3 HRs in his debut for the same team that intentionally walked Michael Busch, in the 2nd to last game of the season last year (meant nothing to either team in the standings), when he had a chance to hit for the cycle. Just saying.”
The former Cubs veteran was referring to a late-season game in 2025 when Michael Busch stood one triple short of hitting for the cycle against St. Louis.
Cardinals manager Oli Marmol elected to intentionally walk Busch rather than risk allowing the cycle, a decision that frustrated Cubs players and fans at the time. That contest carried little weight in the standings, as the Cubs had already secured a playoff spot and the Cardinals had been eliminated from contention.
Turner’s criticism highlights the complicated emotions that can surface during the intense Cubs-Cardinals rivalry. Some view the standing ovation as a classy acknowledgment of baseball history unfolding in real time. Others, like Turner, see it as inconsistent with the competitive edge fans typically show when facing their bitter rivals.
Baez’s debut performance was extraordinary by any measure. Hitting three home runs in a player’s first game is rare enough; doing so in consecutive at-bats at a historic venue like Wrigley Field made the moment even more memorable.
Fans who rose to their feet were essentially celebrating the uniqueness of the achievement rather than rooting against their own club.
The debate stirred by Turner’s comments underscores how sports rivalries often leave little room for neutral appreciation.
What some interpret as good sportsmanship, others regard as misplaced generosity toward an opponent. In the end, Baez’s historic night and the mixed reactions it produced offered another chapter in the long and colorful story of the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry.
