Red Sox: Pablo Sandoval’s belt gives up on him

Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval swung so hard that his belt buckle actually came undone.

It’s bad enough that most of Red Sox Nation has given up on Pablo Sandoval, but now his belt has too.

The Boston Red Sox rotund third baseman got his first start of the season Saturday afternoon in Toronto, but may be wishing he stayed on the bench instead. Picking up his first error of the season on a poor throw that sailed out of the reach of first baseman Travis Shaw was bad enough, but the embarrassment only got worse once he stepped to the plate.

Sandoval whiffed on a knuckle ball from Blue Jays starter R.A. Dickey, swinging so hard that his belt buckle exploded. As poorly as this season has started for Sandoval, who lost his role as the everyday third baseman for the Red Sox, you half expected his pants to drop down around his ankles.

Fans on social media of course had a field day with the video of Sandoval’s belt coming undone. Concerns over Sandoval’s weight filled headlines all spring after the veteran failed to show up to camp in shape, so an incident like this is easy fodder for his critics. Needless to say, a player with a thinner frame doesn’t have to worry about their belt buckle bursting.

Sandoval’s agent was very vocal about manager John Farrell‘s decision to bench his client, notably making a baffling comment about how if you own a Ferrari you can’t leave it in the garage. Well, it looks like this Ferrari needs a new timing belt.

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The only upside for Sandoval? If he’s learned his lesson from last year, he won’t see the Instagram posts of his wardrobe malfunction until after the game.