You couldn’t be prouder of Jack.
This was what he worked for—what they all worked for. The team had fought hard all season, proving time and time again that they were the best in baseball. And now, they had the ring to show for it.
But, of course, the internet always had something to say.
It started a few weeks into the off season. While you and Jack were still soaking in the win, scrolling through congratulatory texts and reposting celebratory posts, the hate started flooding in.
“The Dodgers are ruining baseball.”
“MLB needs a salary cap. This is ridiculous.”
“They bought another championship.”
“The Dodgers don’t win, they just outspend.”
Jack, who had been sitting beside you in the hotel room, his arm draped over your legs as he scrolled on his phone, suddenly scoffed. “Unreal. These people don’t know what they’re talking about.”
You glanced over, knowing that tone all too well. “Jack…”
“Seriously, they act like we didn’t just grind all season for this.” His fingers were already tapping away at his screen.
You peered over his shoulder and immediately felt a pit form in your stomach.
@JFlare : A certain team is not running baseball. A lot of other teams are just doing very little.
Your heart sank. “Babe, maybe don’t engage—”
“Why not?” He turned to you, brows furrowed. “This is all bullshit. We earned this. The guys worked their asses off, I worked my ass off, and they wanna act like we just wrote a check and got a trophy? Nah fuck that.”
“I get it, I do,” you said softly, placing a hand on his arm. “But you know how these things go. The more you respond, the worse it gets.”
Jack shook his head, unfazed, already scrolling through the replies.
"Flahertys pitching in the postseason was an absolute joke. He got lit up in game 2 of the NLDS, Game 5 of the NLCS and Game 5 of the World Series but he likes to run his mouth."
Jack’s jaw clenched. A second later, another tweet went up.
@JackFlaherty: Kiss my ring
Your stomach twisted. You loved Jack, but you also knew how relentless the internet could be. “Jack, seriously, please stop.”
“Nah,” he muttered, barely looking up. “They’re not gonna disrespect the team like this and think I’m just gonna sit here and take it.”
The next few minutes were a blur of Jack firing back at random accounts, each response riling up more people. The tweet replies were blowing up. Some fans defended him, but the hate was piling on just as fast.
“Bro, stay humble.”
“Dodgers fans are so annoying, this is why everyone hates them.”
“Cry more, dude. Y’all are literally ruining the sport.”
“Imagine being this sensitive when you literally won the World Series.”
You could feel your anxiety creeping up. You didn’t want Jack to look bad. You didn’t want him to get painted as the arrogant, defensive player who couldn’t take criticism. And most of all, you didn’t want him to get caught in an online war that wouldn’t end well.
“Jack, please,” you said again, this time grabbing his phone out of his hand.
“Hey!” He reached for it, but you held it against your chest.
“Just stop,” you pleaded. “You won. You proved them wrong by winning. That should be enough.”
He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair before leaning back against the headboard. “It just pisses me off.”
“I know,” you said, softer now. “But no matter what you say, they’ll still think what they want. And the more you engage, the worse it gets. Please, just let it go.”
Jack studied you for a long moment, then sighed. “Fine.”
Relief flooded through you as you handed his phone back. “Thank you.”
He pulled you closer, resting his chin on your head. “You’re right,” he admitted reluctantly. “But it still pisses me off.”
You smiled against his chest. “I know. But now, let’s celebrate. You just won the freaking World Series.”
Jack smirked. “Damn right we did.”
And with that, he finally put his phone down.
Requested by venerim Thank you so much for reading and requesting. Also thank you so so much for your patience and I am so sorry for such a long wait, totally my fault. Please feel free to leave a request.
