Triston Casas turned heads in Boston before he even stepped into the batter’s box. Just two hours before his big league debut, the left-handed slugger was sunbathing shirtless on the right field grass at Fenway Park, showing off his flexibility with some yoga poses.
At the time, Casas’ new teammates bristled at the rookie’s unorthodox routine. This was Major League Baseball, after all. Players are expected to chew tobacco and spit before first pitch, not perform sun salutations!
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Choosing to focus on Triston Casas doing yoga. pic.twitter.com/09Kk98CSra
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) March 30, 2024
But now, with a full season of experience under his belt, Casas is no longer the new kid. With a sweet stroke and affable demeanor, he’s become one of the Red Sox’ centerpieces.
That means there’s no need for him to conform… not that he was doing that, anyway.
Though Casas is currently sidelined with a rib injury, the Red Sox went ahead this week with a bobblehead night to celebrate their fabulous first baseman. Much like Casas, the doll was a fan favorite… and one of the gayest bobbleheads we’ve ever seen!
Casas’ figurine is stretched out in boat pose, with painted fingernails to boot.
We want one… or 10!
The Triston Casas Yoga Bobblehead comes with painted fingernails and toenails. pic.twitter.com/RMsqOVayv2
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) May 15, 2024
Y’all. I love everything about this bobblehead. https://t.co/doCKWCB2rZ
— Sara Sanchez (@BCB_Sara) May 15, 2024
Like many athletes of his generation, Casas proudly bends gender norms. He’s painted his nails for years as a way to express himself.
The Red Sox highlighted Casas’ mani-pedi routine in a YouTube video, in which he takes viewers with him to the salon. He says the barbs from insecure men don’t bother him.
“I get certain looks about it, and people say certain things about it,” he said. “There’s a stereotype about it. People call me this and that, and say I’m this and that. But it’s so superficial, and doesn’t change anything about me.”
A proud mama’s boy, Casas also uses his nail appointments as an opportunity to hang with his mom. They get together every couple of weeks, with their phones away and nails out.
“I just use it as an opportunity to spend time with my mom, a two or three-hour window every two or three weeks,” he said. “We get to bond, talk about whatever, put our phones down a bit and catch up. We use it as a little bit of bonding time.”
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In that respect, Casas is similar to Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams, who also bonds with his mom over mani-pedis. The NFL’s No. 1 overall draft pick has enjoyed the ritual since he was a kid.
“My mom does nails. Let’s just start it off there,” he said in an interview last fall. “She’s done it my whole life. It’s just kind of always been around me. Nobody else does it. I just kinda like to do new things.”
Caleb Williams with a pink phone, pink nails, pink wallet, and lip gloss?
QB1 is a bad bitch 💅 pic.twitter.com/mmx2MldqkR
— GhettoGronk (@TheGhettoGronk) March 26, 2024
Not be outdone, Duke basketball standout Jared McCain paints his nails, too. The future NBA star has parlayed his hobby into a lucrative sponsorship deal with the beauty brand Sally Hansen.
“I mean, at an early age I’ve always been told to just be myself, like I’m always just gonna be myself,” McCain told Complex. “As for the painted nails, I saw it during [lockdown] and I just started doing it. I never saw anything wrong with it like. I understand girls do it. I understand men have started to do it a little more recently, but it was just something I saw and I like to get manicures and pedicures. I take care of my body.”
Casas, with his emphasis on yoga and home cooked meals (puzzle piece potato salmon sliders are a favorite), also views his mani-pedis as another form of self-care. It’s great to see the Red Sox, one of the most iconic franchises in pro sports, embrace his irreverent ways.
With one of the most successful Pride Night traditions in MLB, the Red Sox regularly promote the LGBTQ+ community. A couple of years ago, they invited local drag queens to take part in the festivities. The girls, dressed in fuchsia leopard-print leotards and colorful wigs, slayed the park down…boots!
Tiffani Faison throws out the first pitch in celebration of Pride Night at Fenway Park. @tiffanifaison | #RedSox pic.twitter.com/Hyrlu7tT05
— NESN (@NESN) June 15, 2022
With back-to-back last place finishes, the Red Sox may need some promotions to draw fans to America’s Most Beloved Ballpark™ this season. Luckily for them, it appears that Casas’ bobblehead did just that.
Celtics star Derrick White, one of the team’s best players this postseason, certainly seemed to be enjoying himself. (Another Celtics guard, Payton Pritchard, also flaunts heteronormative norms by wearing lady shoes on the parquet.)
Derrick White is in the house enjoying his Triston Casas bobblehead @Dwhite921 | @celtics | #RedSox pic.twitter.com/qvOzWIbop2
— NESN (@NESN) May 17, 2024
Derrick White enjoying the Triston Casas yoga bobblehead is all of us. pic.twitter.com/mgYnwehRmx
— Red (@SurvivingGrady) May 17, 2024
Ridiculed no more, Casas’ expressive attributes are a draw. Namaste, indeed!
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