Canha denies staring into A's dugout after his homer in Tigers' win

Canha denies staring into A's dugout after his homer in Tigers' win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Mark Canha left the Athletics in free agency after the 2021 MLB season on good terms, but for a few moments Friday, his reaction after a sixth-inning homer led some to believe he felt a certain way towards his former team.

After Canha crushed a 414-foot solo homer off A's starter JP Sears in the Tigers 5-4 win at Comerica Park, one camera angle made it seem as if the veteran outfielder and designated hitter was staring into Oakland's dugout.

After the game, Canha spoke to MLB Network's Jon Morosi and made it clear he wasn't looking into the A's dugout.

Canha spent the first seven years of his MLB career with the A's and quickly became a fan-favorite. In 645 games in Oakland, Canha hit .244/.344/.431 with 89 homers and 294 RBI.

But when the A's decided to tear down the roster in 2020 and 2021, Canha wasn't re-signed. He eventually signed a two-year contract with the New York Mets with an option for a third season. Just before the 2023 MLB trade deadline, he was dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers.

In November, the Brewers traded Canha to the Tigers, where he's serving as a veteran leader on a young Detroit team trying to reach the MLB playoffs for the first time since 2014.

Canha got the best of his former team Friday, and he made it clear there was nothing personal about his celebration.