Why Mookie Betts should be the face of Major League Baseball
Making a bold comparison to the original face of social change in professional sports
My grandpa, or “Papa” for short, grew up watching ball games at Ebbets Field and rooting for his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers. Papa also grew up playing ball himself— he can recall his countless practices, doubleheaders, and Nathan’s hot dogs on Coney Island during his high school years. He was a second baseman with nimble feet and a contact hitter that wielded a thick-handled bat, both inspired by the play of legendary Brooklyn Dodger second baseman, Jackie Robinson.
Today Papa is not as loyal to the Dodgers since they moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1957. Still, before Game 1 of the 2020 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays, he was repping his #14 Dodgers shirt of former Brooklyn Dodger first-baseman, Gil Hodges.
Papa and I have been texting over the past week while watching the World Series games apart from one another. In the 5th inning of Game 1, Dodger right fielder Mookie Betts got on base, later stole third, and then scored with an aggressive, headfirst slide on a bang-bang play at home plate. After the play, Papa shot me a text that instantly gave me chills.
Although Papa *wrongfully believes Jackie was safe on a classic play (against my New York Yankees), a straight steal of home plate in the 1955 World Series, (Manuel Margot later proved how difficult this feat was in Game 5), I trust a man who has lived long enough to see both Jackie Robinson and Mookie Betts play ball in their primes.
Papa solely compared the well-rounded, aggressive style of play between Mookie Betts and Jackie Robinson. But the bold comparison of Mookie to Jackie prompted me to start thinking of their impact beyond the field of play.
If Papa’s comparison to Jackie holds any semblance of truth, Mookie has the potential to be another pioneer for the MLB in our rapidly changing world. I believe Major League Baseball should make Mookie Betts the face of baseball (over the likes of Mike Trout, Aaron Judge, and Christian Yelich) for the following three reasons:
He’s Electric (And Likable)
The key ambassador of any organization must be good at what they do. Mookie’s accolades speak for themselves. As a 27-year old, he has already made four all-star appearances, flashed four Gold Gloves, collected an AL MVP award, and won a World Series (while only one win stands in the way of his second championship).
Beyond that, the key ambassador of an organization must embody a persona and create a feeling that draws people in. If you need proof that Mookie is electric on the field, see this highlight of him robbing the potential go-ahead home run in Game 7 of the NLCS, a play that catalyzed the Dodgers to the World Series. In the World Series, he has crushed home runs, made spectacular plays in the field, and run the bases something like Jackie Robinson himself—all with his trademark undersized build, unique athleticism, big smile, and contagious swagger.
But more than Mookie the player, Mookie the person is extremely likable beyond baseball. According to a recent Forbes article commenting on Mookie’s character, he “has become synonymous with random acts of kindness.” Two years ago, Mookie spontaneously delivered food to the homeless after Game Two of the 2018 World Series in Boston. During coronavirus, he purchased groceries for shoppers at a local supermarket in his hometown of Nashville. Mookie has proven to be a tremendous player, a class act, and above all, a giving person.
He no Longer Plays for the Red Sox (Only Half Kidding)
Even though the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry isn’t what it used to be, this point is obvious considering I’m a lifelong Yankee fan. Mookie leaving Boston for Los Angeles was a happy day for Yankee fans. But I digress.
Unlike Papa’s childhood, gone are the days when playing an entire career on one team is a prerequisite for fan loyalty across professional sports in America. Mookie represented the East Coast as a Nashville native who grew into a star playing for the Red Sox. He now plays in the biggest market in baseball, for arguably the best team in baseball, on the West Coast.
In just his first year in Los Angeles after six great seasons in Boston, Mookie’s continued success demonstrates that he adds more value to baseball than the franchise he plays for. Unlike Mike Trout, Aaron Judge, and Christian Yelich, when you think of Mookie Betts, you now think of more than just a single team—more than just the Boston Red Sox, more than just the Los Angeles Dodgers—arguably two of the most iconic franchises in baseball. That is because Mookie Betts can ultimately be bigger than just baseball.
He Can Bring the MLB Back to its Roots in 2020
Jackie Robinson was the first African-American player to break the color barrier in all of professional sports in America. Jackie Robinson represents the best of what baseball (and all of professional sports) can do for society— unite and bring people together to create social change.
Decades after Jackie Robinson, the United States is still grappling with systemic issues of racial injustice. The NBA and NFL (in respective order) so far in 2020 have effectively used their platforms to advocate for this pressing social issue. The MLB should follow suit to promote its often underrepresented and overlooked demographic. Mookie seems like the quintessential player and person to rise to the task.
Mookie now has the stardom and platform to make a meaningful difference for baseball, especially as the sport struggles to retain its young audiences that instead gravitate to the star personalities in football and basketball. Major League Baseball should embrace its past, as well as the present, and make Mookie the face of its sport.