Tampa Bay Rays star Yandy Diaz has gone viral over his bold choice of footwear during Friday’s loss to the Yankees.
Cameras caught the Cuban-born Diaz wearing rare crystal-covered Adidas cleats worth nearly $500.
The Swarovski x Adidas Adizero Impact+ were launched last September and only 44 pairs were released.
Forty-four is also the number worn by Seattle Mariners star Julio Rodriguez, who helped launch the cleats last year after signing a deal with the sports giants.
Diaz wore the eye-catching cleats during Tampa Bay’s 1-0 loss to the Yankees and they divided opinion among supporters.
Some fans criticized Diaz, with one calling the cleats ‘self-indulgent’ and ‘attention-getting’.
Yandy Diaz has gone viral over his bold choice of footwear during Friday’s loss to the Yankees
The Tampa Bay Rays star wore the rare Swarovski x Adidas Adizero Impact+ cleats
Others mocked the MLB star, with one joking that ‘Liberace is like woah that might be a little much.’ Another added: ‘If Prince played baseball…’
But some were fans of Diaz’s fashion choices. ‘These are (fire) I don’t care what anyone says,’ one said. ‘I’m in love with those,’ said another.
The Yankees lead the four-game series 2-1 heading into Sunday’s final meeting with the Rays. Jazz Chisholm was ejected from the opening clash on Thursday night after arguing a called third strike.
Chisholm then vented his frustration on social media, writing: ‘Not even (expletive) close!!!!!’ But the Yankees star quickly deleted the comment, which appeared to violate MLB’s social media policy.
MLB regulations ban the use of electronic devices during games. Furthermore, the social media policy prohibits ‘displaying or transmitting content that questions the impartiality of or otherwise denigrates a major league umpire.’
‘I didn’t think before I had anything that I said was ejectable but after probably,’ Chisholm said. ‘I’m a competitor… I lost my emotions. I lost my cool.’
He added: ‘I got to be better than that… I’m definitely mad at myself for losing my cool.’
