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Athletes are themselves likely to be big fans of sports, as an athlete would have been inspired by other athletes. In turn, as professional wrestling itself requires athletic skills, it is not surprising that there are a lot of WWE fans within the ranks of Major League Baseball.
While not everyone goes public about watching WWE programming, sometimes professional baseball players find ways to work their appreciation of WWE into their work both on and off of the field. In turn, here are five of the many current MLB players known to be out and public about their fandom of WWE and its storied history.
#1 - Josh Reddick of the Houston Astros
When the words "baseball" and "wrestling" come up in the same sentence, odds are that the name Josh Reddick is to follow that very same sentence. But for those not in the know, the former Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder generally comes up to the plate for an at-bat using the theme songs of WWE talent, having previously utilized music associated with Daniel Bryan, Rowdy Roddy Piper, and Ric Flair at various times; he had discussed the possibility of using Bobby Roode's "Glorious Domination" theme during a 2017 appearance at a Monday Night Raw event.
Furthermore, Reddick had a high-profile beard-related bet with Daniel Bryan, during Bryan's "respect the beard" heyday, which ultimately led to Bryan shaving Reddick on-camera. If that were not enough evidence, Reddick once did an interview for the MLB Network dressed up as the Ultimate Warrior, performing a full-speed sprint in costume -- yes, mask included -- from the outfield. The MLB All-Star, Golden Glove Winner, and World Series Champion has also been photographed in various predicaments carrying a WWE title belt.
In turn, it is safe to say that Reddick has no shame about his long-time WWE fandom, which is quite admirable.
#2 - Curtis Granderson of the Toronto Blue Jays
No matter which team he plays for, may it be the Yankees, Mets, Tigers and Dodgers rosters before joining the Blue Jays, Curtis Granderson is one of the most likable players in Major League Baseball. Not only is he a multiple-season MLB All-Star, but also he is known for his extensive charity work off the field, earning him a Marvin Miller Man Of The Year.
If rumors are true, as part of his endorsing Nike, Rawlings and Louisville Slugger, Granderson made these companies donate equipment to baseball programs within inner-cities and/or contribute money to his charitable foundation in lieu of an endorsement fee.
Furthermore, as a hand-picked ambassador for Major League Baseball's international efforts, Granderson has traveled to Europe, Asia, and Africa to help promote the sport of baseball.
Therefore, it is a great thing for WWE to have a big life-long fan in Granderson. He was in attendance for WrestleMania 23 in Detroit and has been spotted at WWE house shows over the years, beyond once doing a walk-out during a TNA pay-per-view. If rumors are correct, Granderson's WWE favorite wrestlers of all-time include The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Junkyard Dog, and the Ultimate Warrior.
#3 - Adam Jones of the Baltimore Orioles
Adam Jones -- not to be confused with the founding Tool guitarist, who proposed to his then-girlfriend while attending a WWE pay-per-view and also played the national anthem at a different WWE pay-per-view -- has played for the Seattle Mariners and the Baltimore Orioles.
Jones has hit over 250 home runs and batted in over 800 runs within his MLB career, which includes five All-Star selections, four Gold Glove Awards, and a Silver Slugger Award. As with the aforementioned Curtis Granderson, Jones is also known for his off-the-field generosity, as a recipient of a Marvin Miller Man Of The Year Award and a hand-picked United States representative during the most recent World Baseball Classic.
Jones has appeared on WWE programming several times and even goes a step further with his cosplay efforts at live events. At the 2017 WWE pay-per-view Payback, Jones was shown on camera being dressed as Virgil, also having a prior cosplay experience as APA-era Ron Simmons to his credit.
Jones has also been called out on-air by The New Day and on the field by Seth Rollins, showing his willingness to get directly involved with some of the talents he is known to watch on a weekly basis.
#4 - Tommy Kahnle of the New York Yankees
Previously part of the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox rosters, Tommy Kahnle is currently in his eighth season as a Major League Baseball pitcher. He has earned well over 200 strikeovers and carries an ERA well below 4.00; prior to the All-Star break of 2017 season, Kahnle had a 2.50 ERA.
As a New York native, Kahnle has been drafted by the Yankees in 2010 and had been invited to the Yankees' spring training in 2013, yet he did not properly join the New York team until July 2017.
In an interview with the YES Network from August 2017, the reliever discussed the difficulty of watching RAW and SmackDown during the MLB season, given that professional baseball players play 162 games in the regular season -- which runs between April and September -- beyond games played during spring training and the post-season playoffs.
Kahnle also noted his favorites on the current WWE roster to be Bray Wyatt and Shinsuke Nakamura, and that he would "love to re-enact Stone Cold and the beer truck."Within that same interview, Kahnle mentioned watching both WWF and WCW starting from the age of four or five, and being excited to meet Braun Strowman, Alexa Bliss, and Big Cass when they visited Yankee Stadium last season.
#5 - Todd Frazier of the New York Mets
A former teammate of the aforementioned Tommy Kahnle -- since the third baseman is now part of the Mets organization -- Todd Frazier also previously played for the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago White Sox. He is a two-time MLB All-Star and a Home Run Derby champion, beyond being recognized with a Heart And Hustle Award, which goes to a player that "best embodies the values, spirits, and traditions of baseball."
In a YES Network interview from 2017, Todd Frazier noted that he had attended SummerSlam 1997 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which had the main event as The Undertaker versus Bret Hart with Shawn Michaels serving as the special guest referee.
However, Frazier's favorite WWE event of all is the Royal Rumble. Frazier's earlier days in the MLB included working with Dale Torborg, who was known in WCW as the KISS Demon and currently works as a strength and conditioning coach within the MLB ranks.
As noted about Frazier in that interview with YES, Frazier is known to have competitions with other people in which they go "back and forth naming wrestlers." However, unlike the aforementioned Josh Reddick, Frazier mostly walks up to his at-bats with songs below fellow New Jersey native Frank Sinatra.
