Nick Castellanos' Trip To The All-Star Game Involved Defending Why He Thinks Scooby-Doo Is A Superhero

Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos is in Seattle for the MLB All-Star Game, but he's courting controversy for saying his favorite superhero was Scooby-Doo.

This happened on Monday as players were getting drilled with questions including completely random ones, like who's your favorite superhero.

He said everyone's favorite talking, mystery-solving Great Dane.

I hate when players are asked questions like this. I know it's done under the guise of fun, but I'm convinced the ulterior motive is to make players look like pop cultural dunces.

Can you imagine showing up somewhere and expecting to talk about baseball only for someone to pop up in front of you, holding an iPhone in front of your face and demanding to know your favorite superhero?

I can, and I can guarantee that I'd panic and say something dumb. Someone like Nick Castellanos spent his childhood in the batting cage, not keeping tabs on what Aquaman was up to.

Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos probably didn't. expect that part of his trip to the MLB All-Star Game in Seattle would involve defending the superhero merits of Scooby-Doo. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Castellanos Made A Strong Case For Scooby Doo's Superheroism

Castellanos — who also has a superpower of his own: hitting home runs at incredibly awkward moments — gave a pretty good defense of his answer.

"Well, first of he's a dog, and he can talk, right?" Castellanos said, beginning his defense with a rhetorical question. "And he solves mysteries. So, I think that a dog that can talk and helps people by solving mysteries, I think is a superhero."

That's true. That's all true. Maybe Castellanos is onto something. Forget DC and Marvel, give me the Hanna-Barbara stable of superheroes every day of the week.

Scooby has other hallmarks of superheroism. He's got sidekicks, many of them. He's got a nerd, hot chick, a douche with an ascot, and a perpetually stoned best friend. At one point he even had his nephew who everyone hates helping him out.

Additionally, Scooby attains heightened sensory awareness upon downing some Scooby snacks. It's like when the Hulk gets angry but with food. Of course, this logic would also make Popeye the Sailor Man count as a superhero.

So, if Warner Bros. rolls out a Scooby-Doo cinematic universe in the next few years, thank (or blame) Nick Castellanos.

Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Reigle