Mike Trout is a small town kid who spent his childhood around the game of baseball, his athletic abilities on the baseball field is second to none and therefore he is worthy of high praise. His profile has improved from a phenom in a small town in rural New Jersey to the best player in the Major Leagues and arguably one of the best ever. Trout continues to flourish and just get better with age. Trout is one of the few examples in the Major Leagues of a five tool player (speed, power, average, defense, and a strong arm). He, along with other young players such as Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, have livened up the game and continuously amaze fans with their talents. Michael Nelson Trout grew up in a rural town of New Jersey called Millville. …show more content…
As well as, switching positions he also switched his number in high school to 1 (Growing Up). During high school he was a two way player who was exceptional as both a pitcher and a hitter. Learning under the coaching of his father, he continued to sharpen his talents and improve on his baseball intelligence. Despite his great hitting and pitching they were not his most attractive ability, once again his blazing speed was the main source of his attention. Mike began to get more and more attention as a sophomore after pitching in a big rival game and shutting down the opposing team throwing a two hitter to beat them for the first time in years (Growing Up). The following year he continued to dominate the competition on the mound as he threw a 18 strike out no hitter. Therefore, he was the main focus of many Major League scouts as they recognized his exceptional talents. Regardless of all of the attention he was getting for his pitching, he continued to thrive in the batter’s box. As a senior he set the New Jersey High School record for home runs with 18 (Mike Trout Early Life). Trout had previously committed to continue his career at East Carolina University but with the big numbers he was producing it was more likely that he would get drafted by a Major League club. In the 2009 Major League Draft Mike Trout was taken 25th overall by the Los Angeles Angels (College and Ametuer Career). …show more content…
On July 8th of the 2011 season he made his debut; even though his first stint in the big leagues did not go as well as planned. Trout struggled with the first call up and therefore started the 2012 season in the Minors but he was quickly called back up where he found success easily. In the 2012 season he was the Rookie of the Year as well being named the runner up Most Valuable Player behind Miguel Cabrera. Going into his sophomore season was just as good as his freshman season as he once again finished second in the MVP voting behind Miguel Cabrera; however, he was still awarded a Silver Slugger award and All-star selection. Every season since the 2012 season has seemed to only be better than the last, he has earned an All-star selection in each of his first six years and a Silver Slugger award in four of his six years in the league. Injuries did get to him in the 2017 campaign as he suffered a broken thumb which caused him to miss about 6 weeks; despite the injury he still came in fourth in the MVP voting. Furthermore, with the 2018 season under way it does not seem that he shows any signs of slowing down in his age 26 season. He is currently leading the majors with 12 home runs through just 34 games on the young season (baseball-reference.com). If this trend continues all throughout his career it is without a
Jeter received lots of recognition during his high school years at Kalamazoo Central. Jeter was heavily recruited by Yankees scout Hal Newhouser. After Jeter’s senior season, he received many awards. Among those awards was the 1992 High School Player of the Year for Gatorade, USA today, and the American Baseball Coaches Association. Jeter built up his great confidence through his parents help. Every school year, Derek’s parents would make him sign a contract on the dos and don’ts of Derek’s daily behavior. His parents always tol...
Who would have thought a little boy from the Dominican Republic would have so much effect on people. David Ortiz is a well known player around the Major League Baseball Association, many people know him by Big Papi. He has created foundations and many other things for all types of people. From children to adults and in between, Ortiz has been an influential individual.
Albert Pujols said, “Baseball was an outlet for him to be able to do that, and he had some special talent to go through what he did and still set an example for others. You cannot replace it.”
Since then he has led his team to five world series titles and become the team captain. He is known for his good looks and quiet confidence. He is still playing shortstop for the Yankee’s today and never stops improving. More world series titles are seen in his future.
For much of the 20th century, African-American citizens had been disenfranchised throughout the South and the entire United States, they were regarded as inferior second-class citizens. Despite efforts to integrate society, the political and economic systems were meant to continue the cycle of oppression against African-Americans, throughout the south and indirectly yet ever present in the north. These laws of segregation, otherwise knows as Jim Crow laws, applied to almost every aspect of southern American society, including sports. During this time period, African-American athletes had to resort to second class organizational leagues to play in, this included the famous baseball player Jackie Robinson. Much of this institutionalized racism
I love baseball. I love to play baseball and read baseball comics. I have read a lot of Japanese baseball comics, and almost all Japanese baseball comics’ heroes were fastball pitchers. This comic’s hero was a typical typed pitcher in Japanese baseball comics. He could throw the fastest fastball in his team, and became the ace pitcher of his team when he was a freshman.
Ortiz learned from Martinez what a pitchers mind set is and Ortiz learned off of that and learned how to read a pitcher and use it as an advantage while he was at the plate. They became sorta like brothers and had a special connection. Ortiz started hitting better and getting playing time. He couldn’t seem to find that starting lineup though. Martinez told the manager he wanted Ortiz batting for him while he was pitching. “Pedro put his ass on the line in order to give me a chance. He believed in me. How many guys would have done that?” said Ortiz. “I’m a World Series champion because of Pedro. He is the most loyal guy I’ve ever met in baseball. He cares about everybody.” Ortiz talks about how where he comes from things don’t come easy. The majority of the population live in poverty but they are the most loyal people and the most joyful people he’s ever met. Since Ortiz and Martinez come from the same area he says he’s blessed to receive this opportunity. “When I was a little kid, we didn’t have money for real baseballs. So on Three King’s Day, my sister got a new baby doll. I figured she wasn’t gonna use the old one, so I chopped off the head and shaved all the hair off. It made for a perfect baseball. You know how I got the idea? I read that Pedro did it. I stole that trick from him.” said Ortiz. David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez are still friends to this day and Ortiz still has charities to help kids in the Dominican because he knows what it’ like coming out of there it’s not
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Major League Baseball, much like the majority of other American institutions, was racially segregated. A color barrier was implemented during baseball’s infancy in order to separate people of different race to cater to the white American players. The color barrier was an unofficial “rule” that hindered those with dark skin from playing baseball for Major League teams. The color barrier was enforced by preventing any teams with a colored player from competing at the professional level. Many team owners, umpires, and players justified their opposition to allowing blacks to play by declaring that only whites could uphold the "gentlemanly character" of professional baseball. Others argued that excluding blacks would prevent future racial resentment between the ethnicities, as players of different races would be competing for the same job opportunities.
Jackie Robinson was an amazing athlete. He played four sports and was named the region's Most Valuable Player in baseball in 1938, at a time when black people were not so readily accepted into the the sports world. With hard work and perseverance Jackie went to the University of California, in Los Angeles, where he became the university's first student to win varsity letters in four sports. Jackie was also a lieutenant in the U.S army, but he never saw combat. He then moved to Honolulu, Hawaii where he became a semi professional football player. After he was in the army he went to the Negro Leagues. During his time in the Negro Leagues, Branch Rickey, the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was looking to bring black prospects into Major League Baseball (MLB) to break the color barrier of
One game he fell hard on his left shoulder and he was never able to pitch another game. He began playing in the outfield and little did he know he would be one of the best athletes to ever play in the outfield, from his outstanding catches to his amazing speed. After he he got hurt with his shoulder injury, he feared he would never be able to play the game of baseball ever again. He then became an excellent hitter and his minor league career was going very well for his future. After playing about three and a half years in the minors, he then was called up to the Major Leagues to come and play for the St. Louis Cardinals at left field. He finished his Minor League career with a .379 batting average in 87 games, 26 home runs and 94 RBIs. Stan was taking off in the Majors and becoming a team leader and starting to get more and more well known. He finished his rookie year with only 47 at bats, 8 runs, 20 hits, one home run, seven RBIs and an amazing .426 batting average. He finished 1942 with with 467 at bats, 87 runs, 147 hits, 10 home runs, 72 RBIs and a .315 batting average. 1943 was his best season he ever had. He finished 43 with 617 at bats, 108 runs, 220 hits, 13 home runs, 81 RBIs and a .357 batting average. Stan led the Cardinals to the World Series in 1942, 43, 44 and 46 which they won in 42, 44, and 46. Stan played the Hall of Famer Ted Williams in the World Series of 1946 against the New York Yankees. That was the last World Series Stan would play in for the rest of his baseball career. In 1945 Stan was drafted into the military of the final months of World War II. He joined the United States Navy and remained there four fourteen months. In 1946 he continued his Major League career on discharge. This is when he earned his nickname “Stan The Man” from the Los Angeles Dodgers fans. 1947 is when Jackie Robinson became the first African American to ever play Major League
Shohei Ohtani, who is now being called Japan’s Babe Ruth is now going into America’s MLB and is being compared to Babe Ruth by numerous people around the world. Ohtani has come all the way from Japan to play in the majors. Comparisons are being made because they are both extraordinary hitters, fantastic pitchers, they made it into the majors without going to college, and were team MVPs. But the only reason they made it this far is because they put their head, heart, and soul into their game.
Jackie Robinson overcame many struggles in life such as being included in the civil rights movement, facing discrimination, and he achieved being the first black man in major league baseball. He was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia on Hadley Ferry Road. It is a blue-collar town of about 10,000 people. Jackie Robinson became the first black player in the major leagues with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Even though he achieved this major goal he still had trouble getting there. He and his siblings were raised by his single mother. Jackie attended Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College. He was a great athlete and played many sports. He played football, basketball, track, and of course baseball. He left school in 1941, worked as an athletic director and played semiprofessional football for the Honolulu Bears before being drafted to the Army in 1942. While he was in the army he became close friends with Joe Louis. The heavyweight used his popularity to protest about the delayed entry of black soldiers. Two years later he got the honor to be second lieutenant in 1943. After an accident where he refused to sit in the back of an unsegregated bus, military police arrested Robinson. A duty officer requested this and then later he requested that Jackie should be court martialed. Since this happened Jackie was not allowed to be deployed overseas to the World War II. He never saw combat during the war. Jackie left the Army with an honorable discharge.
With about 83 players currently to in the MLB, 682 players since 1950, and so far 2 players in the Hall of Fame with much more to get inducted, it’s clear that the Dominican Republic dominates the game of baseball. In the Dominican Republic, baseball is the country’s pastime and official sport. Baseball doesn’t discriminate, regardless of gender, race, and economic status. In my personal view, baseball runs in the blood and embedded in the genetic coding of Dominicans. As a person whose mother and father are Dominican and born and raised in Miami, there seems to be little to nothing that connects me to their culture. Nonetheless, this Miami-born Dominican- American is proud to say that the sport I love the most can connect me to the Dominican
Jackie Robinson once said that “"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." (Brainy Quotes). Jackie Robinson faced more abuse than any other baseball player. Jackie Robinson had his mind set on breaking the color barrier for African Americans. Jackie Robinson had the muscle strength and talent to inspire and change the color barrier in Major League baseball. Jackie Robinson was one of the most significant baseball players that America has ever known for Jackie Robinson’s bravery to stop the color barrier for, his inspiration he gave to people all around the world and for his accomplishments during baseball and outside of baseball this made him one of the most valuable players in the National League.