GLENDALE, Ariz. — Mookie Betts retains upping the ante. He talked final season about desirous to grow to be a Corridor of Famer. His newest aim: To grow to be, in his phrases, “a legend within the recreation.”
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 Collection 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 need to be nice. Once I’m finished, I need you to recollect not essentially simply the baseball participant, however Mookie. I need to be a legend within the recreation.
“How I create that, I do not know. I’m simply type of going about it and bringing smiles to folks’s faces once I can, attempting to signal some autographs once I can, be the very best participant I may be once I’m enjoying, be the very best teammate I may be.
“No matter comes my means, I’m simply going to attempt to be the very best at it it doesn’t matter what. If it’s sitting on the bench, I need to be the very best cheerleader. No matter it’s. I believe if I can try this, I really feel like that may create some sort of legacy that I can depart. You gained’t keep in mind all of the on-field stuff, however I need folks to recollect who Mookie was off the sector for positive.”
Main leaguers hardly ever communicate this fashion. Till lately, the game’s tradition discouraged individualism of any form. Freedom of expression is changing into extra accepted, as evidenced by the league’s “Let the Children Play” promotional marketing campaign in 2019. However even now, few gamers overtly talk about particular person targets, preferring to focus solely on the crew.
Betts, to make sure, is intent on his Los Angeles Dodgers successful the World Collection, one thing they did within the shortened 2020 season, however haven’t achieved in a full season since 1988. Coming off the crew’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 by means of,” Betts stated, referring to the crew’s 11 straight playoff appearances. “We’ve gotten one, however one for 9 or ten is just not excellent in our sport, actually generally.”
Betts fields floor balls at Camelback Ranch earlier this month. (Rick Scuteri / USA Right this moment)
To grow to be a “legend within the recreation,” not less than from the attitude of Dodgers followers, Betts is aware of he should carry out higher in October. He was sensible within the 2020 postseason, however went a mixed 2-for-25 because the Dodgers had been knocked out prior to now two Division Collection, first by the San Diego Padres, then by the Arizona Diamondbacks, each occasions after successful 100 or extra regular-season video games.
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 needed. His reply was telling.
“My buddies actually keep on me,” Betts stated. “They inform me to embrace who you might be. Embrace if you stroll into someplace and somebody needs to come back take an image or somebody will get nervous. I used to type of draw back from it. Now once I see anyone that’s type of shy, I am going and discuss to them. I am going and humanize myself.
“I’m a traditional particular person similar to everybody else, however there are some issues that I do some in a different way, and there are some lives that I have an effect on somewhat in a different way, and I believe 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. However it actually stems from my buddies. They’ve been with me since I used to be within the fifth grade, in order that they’ve seen the place I used to be then. We had no thought any of this was going to occur.”
“This” contains his exceptional 2018 season with the Boston Crimson Sox, when he gained the American League batting title with a .346 batting common, helped the Crimson Sox win the World Collection 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 assure in major-league historical past.
Betts’ reputation, nonetheless, stems not solely from his immense all-around expertise, but additionally from followers referring to 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, nearly childlike pleasure for the sport.
The Dodgers plan to make use of Betts largely at second base this season — he joked to reporters 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, notably for a celebrity.
“It simply felt like I used to be in a position to 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 nearly just like the utility man. I had 4 uniforms, and whoever known as and wanted a proper fielder or a shortstop or a second baseman or a 3rd baseman or a primary baseman, that’s type of the place we went. It’s nearly bizarre enjoying only one place, particularly within the outfield.”
Wait, Betts performed for 4 totally 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 believe that actually taught me how you can be a baseball participant as an alternative 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 Collection. To be admired on and off the sector. To grow to be — sure, he stated it — a legend within the recreation.
(Prime photograph of Mookie Betts: Masterpress / Getty Photos)