David Peralta had some fun with Eduardo Escobar’s fear of cats when they were teammates with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and being in the same clubhouse for the World Baseball Classic allowed him to up his prank game.
The two represented Team Venezuela in the WBC, and Peralta on several occasions throughout the tournament has let the cat out of the bag.
Peralta — now with the Los Angeles Dodgers — brought a cat carrier to a common area in Miami where Escobar — currently with the New York Mets — was minding his business. Catcher Salvador Perez held Escobar back as the former D–backs infielder threw something at Peralta, who had a devilish grin on his face.
They will not leave Eduardo Escobar alone about his fear of cats 😭 @shea_station pic.twitter.com/uE7m7iY0Fk
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 18, 2023
Escobar escaped, unbeknownst that the carrier was occupied by a stuffed cat.
Peralta has used stuffed animals before the mess with his countryman, notably in the D-backs’ dugout in 2019.
For the unaware, @escobarmaracay is terrified of cats.
So of course, David Peralta now carries a lucky cat in the dugout. 😂 pic.twitter.com/bkK3qFheZh
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 7, 2019
The outfielder was not done, though, getting the best of Escobar in the batting cages, the clubhouse and the dugout, using cat noise effects to make his teammate jump.
Venezuela’s run in the WBC concluded on Saturday with a 9-7 loss against Team USA in the quarterfinals.
Perhaps Escobar will feel safer when the two join their respective clubs on the opposite sides of the country, but the next Dodgers-Mets game may have an additional storyline in Peralta gets any ideas.