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Fernando Tatis Jr. Seemed Too Good to Be True. Maybe He Was.

Statues can be made from many different materials: stone, bronze, concrete, wood, and so on. The idea is to use something durable and lasting, something befitting a permanent monument that often serves as a point of pride.

In other words, clay would be a bad choice. That is where the expression feet of clay comes from, connoting a weak foundation, a flaw that could bring down a person of honor. Which brings us to Fernando Tatis Jr.

When the San Diego Padres signed Tatis to a 14-year, $340 million contract in February 2021, he matched the boldness of their investment with a statement just as audacious: “I want the statue.