MLB
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Mookie Betts retains upping the ante. He talked final season about wanting to become a Hall of Famer. His newest aim: To turn out to be, in his phrases, “a legend within the sport.”
Betts, 31, made that declaration in an interview I carried out with him Tuesday for Fox Sports activities. I requested him, after successful two World Sequence and an MVP award, what retains him going at this stage of his profession. What motivates him. What fuels him.
“My household, clearly,” stated Betts, who’s married with two youngsters. “However then only a drive inside myself simply to be nice. I wish to be nice. Once I’m accomplished, I would like you to recollect not essentially simply the baseball participant, however Mookie. I wish to be a legend within the sport.
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“How I create that, I do not know. I’m simply sort of going about it and bringing smiles to folks’s faces after I can, attempting to signal some autographs after I can, be the very best participant I may be after I’m enjoying, be the very best teammate I may be.
“No matter comes my manner, I’m simply going to try to be the very best at it it doesn’t matter what. If it’s sitting on the bench, I wish to be the very best cheerleader. No matter it’s. I feel if I can do this, I really feel like that can create some sort of legacy that I can depart. You received’t bear in mind all of the on-field stuff, however I would like folks to recollect who Mookie was off the sector for positive.”
Main leaguers hardly ever converse this fashion. Till just lately, the game’s tradition discouraged individualism of any variety. Freedom of expression is changing into extra accepted, as evidenced by the league’s “Let the Youngsters Play” promotional marketing campaign in 2019. However even now, few gamers overtly talk about particular person objectives, preferring to focus solely on the staff.
Betts, to make certain, is intent on his Los Angeles Dodgers successful the World Sequence, one thing they did within the shortened 2020 season, however haven’t completed in a full season since 1988. Coming off the staff’s $1 billion offseason, which included the additions of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, he spoke of a “sense of urgency” this spring.
“We’ve been to the playoffs so many occasions and haven’t come via,” Betts stated, referring to the staff’s 11 straight playoff appearances. “We’ve gotten one, however one for 9 or ten is just not excellent in our sport, actually generally.”
To turn out to be a “legend within the sport,” a minimum of from the attitude of Dodgers followers, Betts is aware of he should carry out higher in October. He was good within the 2020 postseason, however went a mixed 2-for-25 because the Dodgers have been knocked out prior to now two Division Sequence, first by the San Diego Padres, then by the Arizona Diamondbacks, each occasions after successful 100 or extra regular-season video games.
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But, when Betts talked about his aim of changing into a legend, he was not essentially speaking about on-field efficiency. I requested him when he realized it was potential for him to attain such standing, and that it was one thing he even wished. His reply was telling.
“My pals actually keep on me,” Betts stated. “They inform me to embrace who you might be. Embrace while you stroll into someplace and somebody needs to return take an image or somebody will get nervous. I used to sort of shrink back from it. Now after I see someone that’s sort of shy, I’m going and discuss to them. I’m going and humanize myself.
“I’m a traditional individual similar to everybody else, however there are some issues that I perform a little in a different way, and there are some lives that I have an effect on a little bit in a different way, and I feel I ought to embrace that. I’m attempting. I’m doing my finest. It’s bizarre for me, and it’s bizarre even saying one thing like that. But it surely actually stems from my pals. They’ve been with me since I used to be within the fifth grade, so that they’ve seen the place I used to be then. We had no concept any of this was going to occur.”
“This” contains his outstanding 2018 season with the Boston Red Sox, when he received the American League batting title with a .346 batting common, helped the Pink Sox win the World Sequence and was voted AL MVP. It additionally contains seven All-Star appearances and 6 Gold Gloves, to not point out a $365 million contract, the third largest in major-league historical past.
Betts’ recognition, nevertheless, stems not solely from his immense all-around abilities, but in addition from followers regarding a participant who’s listed at solely 5-foot-9, 180 kilos. Betts is way from a behemoth. He additionally shows, at occasions, an endearing, virtually childlike pleasure for the sport.
The Dodgers plan to make use of Betts largely at second base this season — he joked to reporters just lately that he left his right-field glove and cleats in Los Angeles. Final season, he moved deftly between proper, second and shortstop, demonstrating uncommon versatility, significantly for a famous person.
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“It simply felt like I used to be capable of be a child once more,” stated Betts, a local of Nashville, Tenn. “Rising up, I by no means performed one place. I used to be virtually just like the utility man. I had 4 uniforms, and whoever referred to as and wanted a proper fielder or a shortstop or a second baseman or a 3rd baseman or a primary baseman, that’s sort of the place we went. It’s virtually bizarre enjoying only one place, particularly within the outfield.”
Wait, Betts performed for 4 completely different youth groups without delay?
“Wherever they wanted,” he continued, smiling. “Generally I might go simply pitch, and typically I might go play left. It didn’t matter. My dad, I admire that from him as a result of I feel that basically taught me how you can be a baseball participant as a substitute of simply enjoying one place the entire time.”
For Betts, it was the beginning of one thing large, a major-league profession that’s about to enter its eleventh season. The Corridor of Fame appears nicely inside his attain, and nonetheless he needs extra. To win one other World Sequence. To be admired on and off the sector. To turn out to be — sure, he stated it — a legend within the sport.
(Prime picture of Mookie Betts: Masterpress / Getty Photographs)
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Ken Rosenthal is the senior baseball author for The Athletic who has spent practically 35 years overlaying the foremost leagues. As well as, Ken is a broadcaster and common contributor to Fox Sports activities’ MLB telecasts. He is additionally received Emmy Awards in 2015 and 2016 for his TV reporting. Comply with Ken on Twitter @Ken_Rosenthal
