Recent Louisville Bats call-up becomes a meme in his Triple-A debut

Jeremiah Holloway, Louisville Courier Journal
·4 min read
Over 10,000 spectators filled Slugger Field to watch the Louisville Bats play the Indianapolis Indians on the first day the stadium has allowed 100% capacity following coronavirus restrictions in Louisville, Ky. on June 22, 2021.

Infielder Robbie “Byrd” Tenerowicz was only called up to the Louisville Bats last week, but he wasted no time making a name — or meme — for himself.

Entering the Triple-A level Tuesday after a stint with the Chattanooga Lookouts, Tenerowicz debuted with Louisville in the team’s series with the Charlotte Knights and got memed after one slide.

In Wednesday’s game against the Knights, Tenerowicz tripled to left field — sending two Louisville runners home — and went airborne while diving to third base.

You can watch the highlight here:

The picture was met with solid engagement on the Bats’ Twitter account, but went to the next level when the team began photoshopping Tenerowicz’s form onto other images.

He went from diving to third in Louisville Slugger Field to diving in an outdoor pool. He was depicted as a skydiver as well, falling out of a plane. And, of course, the team did not miss the chance to show him crowd surfing at a Jack Harlow concert.

Watch: Chris Okey, Louisville Bats catcher, finds out he's MLB-bound, joining Reds

Here's what you should know about the latest high-flying attraction on the Bats:

Where is Tenerowicz from?

A native Californian, Tenerowicz played collegiate baseball at UC Berkeley. With the Golden Bears, he finished his career with 103 hits in 138 appearances. In his senior season, he earned an All-Pac-12 honorable mention.

The Tampa Bay Rays selected him in the 27th round of the 2016 MLB draft.

He bounced around in the minor leagues for a few years, including a previous stop in Kentucky as a member of the Bowling Green Red Hots at the Single-A level.

He first entered Double-A ball with the Montgomery Biscuits, a Tampa Bay Rays affiliate, in 2019. In 2020, however, the Rays' spring training was canceled due to COVID-19 and he was released shortly after.

He signed with the Cincinnati Reds organization and landed with the Chattanooga Lookouts after spring training in 2021. During his first season on the team, he finished in the Top 3 in home runs, hits, RBIs and runs scored in 93 games.

Origin of his nickname

Tenerowicz began going by “Byrd” as an offshoot to his birth name, Robert.

In a recent interview with WDEF News 12 in Tennessee, he explained the origin of the name came when a friend called him “Bert”, but it sounded more like “bird.” From there, Tenerowicz kept the nickname and changed it to “Byrd” after former MLB player Marlon Byrd.

While in Chattanooga, fans would wave their arms in the motion of bird wings whenever Tenerowicz made a big play. His nickname, combined with his long, blonde hair, makes for a persona that is easy for fans to gravitate towards.

He's got a Twitter personality

Tenerowicz also chimes in on Twitter every now and then.

During the MLB lockout, he weighed in and gave his thoughts on the situation.

He also doesn't hesitate to show his love for baseball, whether through original tweets or retweets.

It's been a few months since his last tweet, but he doesn't shy away from opinions when he's on.

Production this season

Before being called up to Louisville, Tenerowicz scored 26 runs and swatted six homers with a .288 batting average in 45 games for the Lookouts. In two games with the Bats, he’s recorded two hits and three RBIs.

In total, his season numbers include 28 runs and a .284 batting average with six home runs.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville Bats' Byrd Tenerowicz becomes Twitter meme in his debut