Tigers fans very much relate to Wrigleyville bar's savage Javy Báez troll

Javy Báez returned to Wrigley Field Tuesday for the first time in three years and received a warm welcome from Chicago Cubs fans ... well, most of them.

While fans inside Wrigley gave Báez a standing ovation during his first at-bat in the bottom of the second inning of Tuesday's game, one bar outside the stadium welcomed the 2016 World Series champion back to Wrigleyville with a slightly less wholesome greeting – one that Detroit Tigers fans can easily get on board with.

"WELCOME BACK JAVY," read the sign outside Murphy's Bleachers, a sports bar across from Wrigley Field. "WE SURE DON'T MISS THAT BATTING AVG."

Indeed, Báez's performance in the batter's box can be described as inconsistent at best, though even that might be too generous of a description for his struggles with the Tigers this season.

Entering Tuesday's game against the Cubs, Báez was slashing .185/.223/.298 with six home runs and 37 RBI through 78 games. And he certainly didn't do his reputation any favors in Tuesday's contest, going 0-for-4 at the plate with four strikeouts.

Tigers fans very much relate to Wrigleyville bar's savage Javy Báez troll

The Báez that Cubs fans know is a beloved figure in franchise history. During his eight seasons in Chicago, Báez was a two-time MLB All-Star, a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner, and the second-place finisher in the 2018 National League MVP voting with a league-leading 111 RBI. He was the NLCS MVP in 2016, the same year the Cubs broke their 108-year World Series drought.

The Báez that Tigers fans know is ... quite different. He can't hit, he's a below-average defender, and he's a liability on the basepaths. His slash line over three seasons with Detroit is a career-worst .220/.262/.347, and he's not even halfway through the six-year, $140 million contract he signed in 2021 – which, needless to say, has aged horribly.

In Chicago, Báez is immortalized as a postseason performer who helped bring winning baseball back to the North Side. In Detroit – and at Murphy's Bleachers, apparently – he's a disliked player whose flaws are well-documented.

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