In baseball, people who are originally good at it continue to do well. Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts (31) showed off his presence as a shortstop.
Betts replaced Luke Williams as a pinch hitter in the top of the 7th inning against the Chicago Cubs in the 2023 Major League Baseball held at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois on the 21st (Korean time).
As soon as he entered the game, Betts hit to the right and went on base. After that, in the defense at the end of the 7th inning, he went to shortstop instead of the outfield, which was his main position.
On this day, Betts started as a shortstop for the first time in the major leagues. It was the first of 9665⅔ innings fielded in his 1131 career games. But Betts did his part perfectly. He did 100% duty as a shortstop even in an unfamiliar position.스포츠토토
In the bottom of the 8th inning, when the 2-2 tight match continued, Patrick Wisdom, tied for second in home runs in the opponent’s league, entered the at-bat on first and second bases safely. It was important for the Dodgers to prevent the loss with the minimum number of runs in a crisis. If they gave up the lead, it was because there were only three out counts left, so there was little opportunity to follow.
Relief pitcher Caleb Ferguson struggled against Wisdom. With a ball count of 1-2, he threw a changeup and induced a ground ball. After catching the batted ball, Betts ran, stepped on second base, and threw quickly and accurately to first base, leading to a double hit. It was the moment when the warriors 1st and 2nd base turned into 2nd base and 3rd base.
The Dodgers, who achieved the best result, caught the follow-up hitter, Nick Madrigal, with a fly ball in right field and did not concede. Afterwards, James Outman’s grand slam in the top of the ninth earned him a thrilling 6-2 victory. Betts was put in the middle of the game and made a significant contribution to the team’s victory with 2 at bats and 1 hit.
The Dodgers have a lot of concerns about their shortstop this season. Gavin Lux, the starting shortstop, is out for the season with a torn ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) in his knee. Miguel Rojas, who was recruited in the trade, left due to a left hamstring injury, and Chris Taylor, who is filling the void, is batting average 0.125 (5 hits in 40 at-bats), 4 home runs, 7 RBIs, and OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) 0.625.
In that situation, shortstop Betts could be a new option for the team. In fact, manager Dave Roberts said in a recent interview with local media, “Betts looks very natural in the infield. Betts is a player who can run anywhere on the ground. I had some doubts about him playing second base last year, but he dispelled my doubts. I put it to sleep quickly,” he said. “When Betts returns to the team after maternity leave, I will start as a shortstop.” Betts’ experience at shortstop in 14 games and 112⅓ innings in the minor leagues meant that this isn’t an impossible scenario.
In an interview with MLB.com, the official website of the major leagues, after the game, Betts revealed his experience as a shortstop for the first time in the big leagues. “It was a lot of fun. It was like a dream come true. Actually, I was drafted as a shortstop, but I haven’t played since 2011. I really enjoyed it, and I’m glad the team won,” he smiled.
“I just want to win. It doesn’t matter where I play. I have to play shortstop. That’s my job and my job. It was really fun to play short.”
The Dodgers have three more games to play before the rest day. In a situation where the player base is not intact due to injuries, it is highly likely that Betts will start as a shortstop. I am curious to see if Betts, who is ‘Nice’, will show the best play in the world even as a shortstop.