Tampa Bay’s Choi has impressive splits
Betts assumed leadership role early with Dodgers
Ji-Man Choi focused on getting more flexible after dealing with some injuries in the minor leagues. Now the 6-foot-1, 260-pound Rays first baseman is doing full splits in the World Series.
Tampa Bay fans have seen the Ji-Man stretches, but there is a much bigger audience for the World Series, where the South Korean did a full split to take the throw from shortstop Willy Adames for the first out in Game 3 on a grounder by Dodgers leadoff hitter Mookie Betts.
“I try my best to just grab the ball at the earliest point possible. More practice with that helped me with my flexibility,” Choi said through a translator Saturday.
Plus the fact that he said he has been doing Pilates for about two years.
“Ji-Man was talking about his Pilates … yeah, he looks like a gymnast. He’s built like one,” manager Kevin Cash said, with a smile.
Choi is the first Korean-born position player to appear in a World Series game, which he called an honor while crediting the “special group of guy” — his teammates and them getting there together.
BETTS BEST: Mookie Betts made an impact on the Los Angeles Dodgers before even playing a game after he was acquired from Boston Red Sox. He addressed his new teammates the day of the team’s first full-squad workout in spring training.
“I was surprised,” manager Dave Roberts said Saturday. “He texted me the night before and he asked me for Clayton (Kershaw)’s number to text him and kind of ask his thoughts on it. And I was like, whatever you have to say, I’m going to support. Clayton felt the same way.”
Betts is a four-time All-Star and fourtime Gold Glove winner who helped the Red Sox beat the Dodgers in the 2018 World Series. Roberts said Betts set the tone, from pitchers fielding practice to relay throw drills.
“It was just very genuine, very authentic. And there had been other times in hitters meetings where he’s kind of challenged guys in the best possible way to how to go about a team approach as an offense,” Roberts said. “Just understanding that if we do things the right way in spring training, we’ll do those things all the way through the World Series. ”
SO CLOSE: Los Angeles infielder Max Muncy played high school baseball about 25 miles from the new Texas Rangers ballpark, and still lives in that area where he grew up. But he hasn’t been able to go there, even though the Dodgers have been in North Texas for three weeks.
The postseason teams have been in a bubble environment since starting postseason play at neutral sites. For the Dodgers, that has been the same resort hotel about 15 miles from the stadium where they also played their NL Division Series and the NL Championship Series.
“You’re so close and you’re so far away,” Muncy said Saturday. “It’s home to me and my wife, it’s where we have our house. Not being able to go see that, see our friends, see our family, not even allowed to have our pets, you know it’s just been extremely difficult. We’re really close to the end, and hopefully it’s something that’s going to all be worth it.”
Muncy said the first thing he and his wife will do after the World Series is pick up their pets, “and just go home and enjoy.”
Kershaw still lives in Dallas, and rookie right-hander Dustin May is from nearby Justin, Texas.
ASTROS: Pitcher Josh James underwent hip surgery Friday and will need six to eight months to recover. Houston general manager James Click said Saturday that James had a labral tear of his left hip.
James initially injured his hip Aug. 20 in a game at Colorado and went on the injured list. When the right-hander returned, he had a 1.35 ERA over 6⅔ innings in his final six appearances of the regular season. James also appeared in three postseason games, pitching four innings.