Angels’ Anthony Rendon expects stars to find groove fast
CHICAGO (AP) » Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez wanted to hug, high-five and fist bump his players. After all, the defending World Series champions spent nearly four months apart before resuming workouts last week.
Then, he remembered: Those are out. And just like crying, now there’s no spitting in baseball, either.
“The first thing you want to do when you see the guys come in after not seeing them for a while, you want to give them a big hug, a fist bump, highfive,” Martinez said. “Had to stop myself today from almost spitting in my mask because I drank some water. You’re just used to it.”
Things sure will be different when it’s time to play ball in two weeks. And it’s won’t just be the empty stands or 60game schedule.
“You’ve got to change your ways a little bit and try to establish new routines,” Chicago Cubs slugger Kris Bryant said. “But we shouldn’t be complaining about that because we all want this thing to work.”
Players are adjusting to a new normal after nearly four
ANAHEIM, CALIF. (AP) » The Los Angeles Angels’ new $245 million third baseman mostly spent the first few months of his sevenyear contract changing his daughters’ diapers and occasionally throwing a tennis ball at a wall.
Anthony Rendon is more than ready to get to work earning his riches, and the World Series winner doesn’t think it will take long for baseball’s best players to get back into championship form.
“As we get older, we know what we need to do to prepare ourselves for a game as men, as professionals,” Rendon said Thursday. “I think there’s a little bit of a light switch deal, where we know that we’ve got to go right now. We can kind of turn it on and say we need to get down to business, and I need to bear down because the real deal is about to happen. If the season started today, I think a lot of the guys, including myself, would be ready.”
Rendon is getting to know his teammates again after his first year with the Angels was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic before he even got a chance to play in Anaheim.
The most coveted hitter on the free agent market earned his mammoth deal by hitting .319 with 34 homers and a majors-leading 126 RBIs last season before leading the Washington Nationals to their first World Series title.
Rendon symbolically closed out the first chapter of his pro career Thursday morning by getting his World Series ring from the Nationals, although the straight-faced third baseman said his next step was to “find the closest pawn shop.”
He was only joking about his frustration over the lengthy coordination process of getting the ring shipped, but he’s firmly focused on his future in Orange County.
Manager Joe Maddon also lef t the National League to join the Angels this season, and he has a long- standing familiarity with Rendon’s bat and mentality. He agrees with the third baseman’s belief that good ballplayers will find motivation on their own terms in this short season, whether it’s about dealing with the lack of a full spring training or the absence of fans.
“I’ ve always talked about ( how) September provides its own energy,” said the manager of the 2016 World Series champion Chicago Cubs. “So we’re going to find out if September provides its own energy even without people in the stands.”
Rendon has thought about the challenges of playing without fans, but the preternaturally calm playoff performer doesn’t think artif icial crowd noise is the answer. Angel Stadium experimented with piping in fans’ cheers during an intrasquad game Wednesday, but Rendon called it “stupid.”
“It’s like you have two of your senses that aren’t coinciding with one another,” Rendon added. “It’s like you’re looking at a pizza, but you’re smelling a hamburger. You hear noise, but you know nobody is in the stands. You don’t see anybody. It’s dumb. I’d rather listen to music.”
Rendon is much more supportive of baseball’s health and safety measures, although he admits he wasn’t going to be interested in doing much partying anyway with two daughters under age 3 waiting at home.
The Angels have collectively vowed to stay out of restaurants and bars for the duration of the short season, and Rendon thinks it’s smart.