Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. calls out Phillies manager over perceived celebration jab

Old school, meet the new school.

Ronald Acuña Jr. and the Atlanta Braves just locked up their sixth straight National League East title in Philadelphia on Wednesday to the dismay of Phillies manager Rob Thomson.

Before Wednesday's game, Thomson appeared on a Philadelphia sports radio station and said, "I like our guys to act like they’ve been there before," which appeared to be a shot at the Braves and their home run celebrations.  

While Thomson didn't point any fingers, the second-year manager clearly wasn't happy how Acuña and Marcell Ozuna showboated around the bases after hitting a home run during the series.

STAY UP-TO-DATE: Subscribe to our Sports newsletter for exclusive content

FOLLOW THE MONEY: MLB player salaries and payrolls for every major league team

Acuña, a catalyst for the Braves offense and an MVP candidate, responded by quoting teammate Tyler Matzek on social media.

"IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT, STOP IT. IF YOU CAN’T STOP IT, ADMIRE IT. IF YOU CAN’T ADMIRE IT, KEEP IT DOWN SO EVERYONE ELSE CAN ENJOY THE SHOW."

Thomson was asked about his comments before Wednesday's game and said he was simply stating his philosophy.

"That was nothing to do with the Atlanta Braves and what Ronald does, or Ozuna," Thomson said. "They can do what they want. I can’t control that. I just mentioned that I preferred people act like they’d been there. I wasn’t trying to start a controversy or anything like that."

After Wednesday's 4-1 win, the Philly faithful was at it again, booing Acuña and the Braves after the scoreboard flashed: "Congratulations Atlanta Braves 2023 NL East Champions."

Acuña responded to the fans by raising both arms and signaling with his hands to bring it on.

The Braves, 96-50, clinched in 146 games, its second-quickest clinch in the divisional era.