GLENDALE, Ariz. -- In his first season with the Dodgers, Mookie Betts exceeded everyone’s expectations, including manager Dave Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.
Everyone around the Dodgers’ organization knew how talented Betts was, but seeing him on a daily basis helped the club gain a greater appreciation for his talent on the field, and also the type of clubhouse leader he is, helping catcher Austin Barnes and others with their respective swings.
What Betts does on the field in 2021 will be determined over the next six months, but the four-time All-Star could be an even bigger asset for the Dodgers in the clubhouse this season as he’s one of two players in the clubhouse (David Price) that know how hard it is to repeat.
“You fight so hard to get on top and once you’re at the top, it’s hard to stay,” Betts said. “But I think we have a group here that is good enough to stay [at the top] and we have to stay hungry, and I think that’s what we’re doing.”
Betts and Price were members of the Red Sox team that won 108 games during the 2018 regular season and cruised through the postseason en route to a World Series win over the Dodgers. The following season, Boston brought back most of its core in hopes of repeating, but the results were much different, finishing 84-78 and placing third in the American League East behind the Yankees and Rays. The Red Sox went 13-17 in the first 30 games, spending most of the first month answering questions about a potential championship hangover.
He’s with a different organization now, but Betts said he learned from that 2019 season.
“You can’t really worry about all those types of things. You can say there’s a hangover, you can say the pitching didn’t get enough rest, you can say all those types of things,” Betts said. “To me, those are all excuses.”
This spring, most Dodgers players have talked about the fact they weren’t able to celebrate the same way championship teams have done in the past. There was no champagne celebration in the clubhouse. There was no parade down the streets of Los Angeles. Instead, the Dodgers dealt with controversy after the last out was recorded as Justin Turner ran out on the field despite testing positive for COVID-19 during the game.
Wanting to celebrate the right way has served as motivation for the Dodgers this early in spring, but not for Betts. He just wants to add a third ring to his name and said he’s willing to do whatever he can to get the Dodgers there. If they’re unable to accomplish that, Betts won’t make any excuses, especially not on a championship hangover.
“I think it’s all kind of a mental thing,” Betts said, when asked about the difficulties of repeating. “If you say there’s a hangover, then a hangover is more bound to happen. But I think that we’re here to work. I think we’re intense. We’re doing everything with a purpose, so we’ll just let the chips fall where they may.”
As for Betts, he finished the 2020 season with 16 home runs, 10 stolen bases and a .927 OPS in 55 games. He was just as good in the postseason, making highlight reel defensive plays seemingly every night. In his first season in the National League, he finished second behind Freddie Freeman in the MVP Award voting.
That’s pretty good, right? Betts thought it was OK.
“It was serviceable,” Betts said on Friday. “It got the job done.”
The performance certainly got the job done as the Dodgers snapped a 32-year World Series drought by beating the Rays in the World Series. Betts said he’s “not looking to be any better or any worse” than last season, but added that he feels more comfortable now that he’s entering his second season with the organization.
His focus isn’t on his personal stats. Instead, Betts is focusing on trying to help the Dodgers repeat and hold off the improving Padres, who made every move this offseason to try and keep Los Angeles from winning a ninth consecutive NL West crown.
“We know that they’re good,” Betts said of the Padres’ offseason. “But we’re good, too.”
"in" - Google News
February 27, 2021 at 03:51AM
https://ift.tt/3bKuUY2
Mookie: Dodgers 'need to stay hungry' in '21 - MLB.com
"in" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2MLa3Y1
https://ift.tt/2YrnuUx
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Mookie: Dodgers 'need to stay hungry' in '21 - MLB.com"
Post a Comment