D-Backs aren’t alone in suffering shortage of big-league personalities
The 2017 Diamondbacks might be one of the most surprising teams in Valley history. They’re also one of the most unquotable.
They are stocked with young, serious professionals like Jake Lamb and Brandon Drury. Their best player, Paul Goldschmidt, is a man of few words. Their ace, Zack Greinke, is quirky and not prone to off-day exchanges with the media.
Like on Tuesday, when Greinke was asked if he had a few minutes to chat. “Probably not,” he said. These Diamondbacks are not that unusual. They reflect a larger trend in Major League Baseball, a sport that is dealing with a shortage of personalities and
star power. A few months ago, a survey firm asked 6,000 sports fans to list their favorite American athletes, and found only three baseball players ranked among the top 50: Derek Jeter (No. 13), Babe Ruth (30) and Pete Rose (50).
No active players made the list, even though major-league stadiums are populated with elite, young talent. So what does that say about the current generation of players?
“Our game is a team game,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “That’s not going to change. Honestly, I think it’s one of the great charms and appeals of our game. Having said that, I think that it’s incumbent upon us to do everything we can to build the profile of our great young stars. And I do believe we have a unique group of young stars that have come into the game recently.”
Part of the issue is that MLB has failed to promote its young stars in the past, and Manfred seems committed to changing that dynamic. He cites a recent deal with Under Armour as proof, a brand they chose to design their uniforms because of its popularity among young people and the great success it has marketing athletes.
There is also the code of the clubhouse, where MLB is very much like the NHL. In both sports, athletes are expected to stay within the confines of the group, and not bring too much attention to themselves or their individuality.
Mike Trout is a perfect example. He’s the best player in the game but has reportedly turned down offers to show off his personality on late-night talk shows, with national endorsement deals and appearances in the Home Run Derby. His singular dedication to baseball is admirable, but would you recognize him in the coffee shop?
By contrast, Bryce Harper is full of sizzle. But his brash nature is not always appreciated by opponents or teammates.
“Baseball is younger now,” former Diamondbacks catcher Robby Hammock said. “You have people walking much more of a fine line, and it all has to do with the emergence of social media. Anything you say can and will be used against you.
“Social media is the perfect verdict of that because reading something is much different than hearing the words. It can take on so many different meanings and reach so many different people. So guys are like, ‘You know what? I’m just going to shut up.’ "
The lack of outward personality is not an issue among baseball fans in Arizona, especially when the current team seems poised to remain in playoff contention over the summer. But it’s a stark contrast to the 2001 Diamondbacks, a team that featured media stars like Mark Grace, Luis Gonzalez, Curt Schilling and Brian Anderson. Even Randy Johnson was a compelling interview when he chose to talk.
“That team probably had a 10-year age difference, on average,” Hammock said. “We all know how 10 years can change you personality-wise. You get a clubhouse where the average age is 20plus, and it’s probably a whole different scene.”
The 2017 Diamondbacks are not robots. Behind the scenes, they seem to have fun and converse easily. The extraordinary communication skills of their manager, Torey Lovullo, has made this team a tight-knit family resistant to outside forces.
Even Greinke shows a much different side behind closed doors. During his visit to Arizona on Tuesday, Manfred walked into the board room, where Diamondbacks scouts where preparing for the upcoming draft. The commissioner asked who was going to attend the draft in New York and
A hand was raised from the back of the room. It was Greinke, who was watching film with the scouts. Laughter filled the room.
But that side of this team isn’t readily shown to the outside world. The latest anecdote came after Wednesday’s victory against the Padres, when Lamb became the league RBI leader. He shrugged off the topic and the accomplishment in postgame interviews, telling the media he was tired and wanted to go home.
Lamb says he only seeks the approval of his teammates, coaches and family, and does his best to avoid social media.
“I don’t want to hear people talk good about me,” Lamb said. “I don’t want to hear people talk bad about me. Because both are going to happen.”
No worries. Not every team has to be like the Arizona Cardinals, full of charismatic, magnetic talents like Patrick Peterson, Bruce Arians, Larry Fitzgerald, David Johnson and Tyrann Mathieu. Not every team can be like the Cubs, the rare MLB outfit overflowing with personalities. And if the 2017 Diamondbacks entertain through victory alone, that’ll be more than enough for a playoff-starved region.