A mural that depicts former Texas Rangers infielder Rougned Odor punching Toronto Blue Jays' José Bautista is on the side of an Arlington taco shop.
Looks like “The Punch” is staying after all.
The Arlington mural of former Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor punching Toronto Blue Jays’ José Bautista won't be coming down even it if does violate city code.
Juan Velazquez, the popular North Texas artist that painted the massive and incredibly detailed mural on the side of a taqueria, was told by Arlington mayor Jim Ross that the shrine to Odor's fist is safe.
The mural, on a wall outside of Gilberto’s Taco Shop in central Arlington, depicts one of the seminal moments in Rangers history. On May 15, 2016 at Globe Life Park, Odor decked Bautista after a hard slide ... and some bat flip bad blood.
Controversy arose because Arlington city code only allows painted murals with within downtown or entertainment district boundaries. The new Gilberto’s location is just outside of downtown.
Gilberto’s owner, Jose Ruiz, was told the mural had to come down, leading to a flurry of social media debate and media coverage.
Arlington officials appeared to backtrack and said the city council would look into the mural policy further before making any decisions.
It appears the mayor beat them to, well, the punch.
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