Most of the time, pro athletes never respond to fans’ messages — but the A’s Brent Rooker is an exception.
After a bettor wrote that Rooker “sold” his parlay — which would have netted $21,000 in profit — by not hitting a home run against the Angels on Saturday, the slugger chirped back.
“My brother, I cannot even begin to express how much I do not care,” he shaded via Instagram direct messages.
Rooker followed it up with some clarification on X, justifying why he chose to respond.
“We get far worse messages than this on a nightly basis, so sometimes it’s fun to pick a more lighthearted one and interact a little bit,” the 29-year-old wrote. “If fans get to say whatever they want to us, we get to reply sometimes. It’s all in good fun of course!”
Up to $500 in Second Chance Bets
New players only, 21 or older. Available in CO, IA, IN, KS, LA, MI, MD,NJ, NY, PA, VA only. Full Terms and Conditions apply.
Get a No Sweat First Bet up to $1,000!
New players only, 21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Available in AZ, CT, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, PA, OH, TN, VA, WV, WY only. Full Terms and Conditions apply.
First Bet Offer: Get up to $1,000 Paid Back in Bonus Bets if You Don’t Win! with code NPBONUS
21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Available in AZ, CO, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, TN, VA, PA, OH, WV, WY only.
Bet $20 Get $100 in Bonus Bets!
New WynnBet users only. Must be 21+. Offer available in AZ, CO, IN, LA, MI, NJ, NY, TN, VA only. Full Terms and Conditions Apply.
Up to $1,250 First Bet on Caesars with code NPBONUSFULL
New players only, 21+. Available in AZ, CO, IA, IL, PA, IN, KS, LA, MI, NJ, NY, TN, VA, WV only. Full Terms and Conditions apply.
2nd Chance Bet up to $100 with code NYPBONUS
New players only, 21+. Available in NY only. In order to participate in this promotion, the player needs to make a first deposit (of at least $10). Full Terms and Conditions apply.
Rooker may not have launched a ball over the fence — like Rhys Hoskins, Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh and Ketel Marte, the others involved in the parlay — but he still enjoyed a terrific night, going 3-for-4 with a run scored.
The underrated Rooker has quietly become a star in 2024, accumulating 25 home runs, 75 RBIs and a ridiculous 170 weighted runs created plus (where 100 is average) — good for fourth in baseball — in 93 games.
Learn all you need to know about MLB Betting
- Read about the Best Baseball Betting Sites
- Learn all about How to Bet on Baseball
- Get the latest World Series Odds
Despite Rooker’s tremendous contributions, the A’s sit at 44-64 and well out of the AL playoff race with a 0.0 percent chance to reach the postseason, per Fangraphs.
Nonetheless, Oakland is expected to hold onto the valuable Rooker — not a free agent until 2028 — through Tuesday’s trade deadline, according to The Post’s Jon Heyman.
Before his latest run-in with some criticism, the Mississippi State product has proven one of the more affable MLB stars on social media in the past.
Whether responding to baseball YouTuber Foolish Baseball or joking that he just closes his eyes and swings as hard as possible, Rooker has done his part to ingratiate himself to baseball’s most devout fans.