‘I’ve definitely grown’
Cain believes selfenlightenment will help him be better leader
Eighth in a 2021 Brewers positionby-position series.
The coronavirus pandemic provided the escape hatch Lorenzo Cain needed to opt out of the 2020 baseball season after one week but he had a lot more on his mind than possibly getting ill as he headed home to Norman, Oklahoma.
Though still playing at a high level well into his 30s, Cain was disappointed that he hadn’t grown enough as a person, that he had allowed his religious faith to backslide over time.
“I felt like I needed to not only opt out for COVID but to continue to renew my faith and continue to grow in my faith,” the Milwaukee Brewers centerfielder said Wednesday. “I kind of put God on the backburner for the
longest time. I felt like I needed to make Him my focal point and that's what I strived to do throughout my time at home.
“I feel like I'll continue to strive to do that throughout the baseball season as well. I feel like I've definitely grown a lot in my faith over this time I had off. I'm still a work in progress. It's something I'm going to strive to do not only now but for the rest of my life.”
Make no mistake about it. Cain is pleased to be back in the Brewers' camp, interacting with teammates and getting the competitive juices flowing again. But he has no regrets about going home last summer after playing only five games of MLB's pandemic-shortened 60-game season.
Yes, Cain was concerned about the virus, particularly when the Brewers' first three home games were postponed due to an outbreak among the St. Louis Cardinals' traveling party. The oldest of his three young sons, Cameron, has “pretty bad asthma,” and the devoted father feared infecting him if exposed to COVID-19 at the ballpark.
But Cain also felt an emptiness spiritually, and learning of so much death during the pandemic made him understand how fleeting life can be. In that regard, it was time to get right with God, right with his family and right with himself.
“Just being home during that time, I was telling someone earlier that me, my wife and kids are very close," said Cain, who had gotten off to a solid start (.817 OPS) to the '20 season before shutting it down. "I feel like we're closer now. Just spending that time together and watching them do certain things and grow. I just feel like we built a special bond that I definitely wouldn't take back for the world.
“I feel like I grew as a dad, as a husband throughout that time. I feel like it's going to help me be a better leader, definitely more vocal. I'm not the most talkative person. That's something I've never been great at. Now, just being home and teaching my kids, and now that I'm back with my teammates, it helps me be more of a vocal leader instead of just on the field, showing them that leadership."
Cain exercised that leadership in a different way over the summer after becoming enraged over the death of George Floyd at the hands of police as well as the shooting of another Black man, Jacob Blake, in Kenosha. He was proud of his teammates for deciding not to play in protest that night at then-Miller Park and reached out to tell them as much.
Cain spoke out against the qualified immunity of policemen involved in such incidents. It was all part of the deep dive he did into his inner self during the most prolonged absence from the game since the Brewers drafted him in the 17th round of the 2004 draft out of Madison County, Florida (he was later traded to Kansas City in the Zack Greinke deal).
Now, he's more than happy to share that personal reckoning with teammates, a process that's already begun in the early days of camp.
“I've already had a bunch guys come up to me and we just sat down, sat in the locker room and have long conversations about life in general, about baseball, about everything, really,” Cain said. “As you guys know, I really don't talk much when it comes to interviews and other aspects. But I feel like I've always been a leader by going out and showing it on the field by the way I play and hustling and doing those type of things.
“I feel like growing in that part of my leadership will definitely transfer to the field, and hope that I continue to be a great leader for these guys and they can continue to come talk to me about anything that they feel they need to get off their chest. Not just about baseball. Also, about God and faith as well.”
As for the baseball part, Cain knows he has much work to do. He will turn 35 in April, and even under normal circumstances, it requires more work at that age to get in peak playing condition. After this much time off, the challenge becomes even greater.
“This year was probably the toughest offseason that I've ever had as far as staying in shape, as far as hitting,” he said. “I didn't get to hit as much as I would like. I didn't really see much ‘live' arms at all. It was tough.
“It was a grind of an offseason. I did the best I could, so I'm trying to play catch-up as best I can since I've been here, but also understanding that I don't want to push too hard because that's how you get hurt and injured, by rushing it too fast. For me, I think I'll be ready.
“I know it's not going to be easy. I know it's going to be tough. Taking a year off from anything, it's tough to get back in the swing of things. But I'm up for the challenge. I'm already putting in the work, swinging every day, out there running, catching fly balls. I think I've looked a lot better than people probably thought I would early in camp.”
The way Cain's bosses see it, they made a key off-season acquisition just by getting him back in the fold. He won the National League Gold Glove in center in 2019, long overdue recognition for his defensive excellence, and joins a two-time winner of that award at second base in newcomer Kolten Wong, a combination certain to take runs off the board for opponents.
“It's incredibly significant how much better we're getting defensively,” said manager Craig Counsell, who plans to ease Cain back into action this spring “until he gets his feet underneath him.”
“Look, Lorenzo is a player with presence,” Counsell added. “He's a person with a presence. He doesn't have a lot to say. His competitiveness on the field, it rubs off on everybody. Just his presence for us is so, so important.”
Cain admitted he hoped more progress would have been made in defeating the pandemic by the start of spring training. But he was encouraged that the sport got through a World Series last fall and has been assured the massive protocols put in place will keep players safe.
So, for those wondering, Cain says he never considered sitting out again this season, which by the way, would have meant forfeiting his $17 million salary.
“That never crossed my mind that I was going to sit out in 2021,” he said. “I feel like now we're in a better place with the virus, but at the same time I was also hoping that things would be a lot better by now.”
As for finding a balance again between job and family, Cain said, “It's going to be tough because once you get a taste of just being home with them for that long period of time, just yesterday I didn't realize how much time I spent at the field. It's going to be a challenge but it's something that we're going to have to find a way to work through. I can tell already they're starting to kind of miss their dad and I've only been away for two days now.”
Asked if he missed baseball more or less than he thought he would while away, Cain was genuinely stumped, saying he never had considered it in that fashion. But, after what became a year of self-enlightenment, he made it clear there were no regrets about stepping away.
“One hundred percent, it was the right choice,” he said. “No doubt in my mind. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I will admit that's probably the most I've ever talked to my teammates outside of the field.
“It's probably the most baseball I've watched on TV in a long time, just keeping up with them and watching the games. I'm happy to be back. I think the guys are happy that I'm back. We all know what we need to do, go out and perform and get it done. The goal right now is to get to the playoffs and hopefully win it all.”