Some spring training seasons can make or break the future of a professional athlete, but for the legendary Adrian Beltre, it’s all about fine tuning.
The third baseman is a future Hall of Famer and his years of production with the Texas Rangers has given him a few perks.
Beltre has played more than 2,800 at the big league level and he’s entering his 21st season as a Major League. Beltre knows what his body needs to be ready for Opening Day.
“Once you’re established in the big leagues, your mindset is to get ready for the season, not to show that you can play in spring training. I don’t care if I go 0-4 in a game if I have my approach in the game. I can go to the game, if I want to work on my two-strike swing, I take two strikes,” Beltre said.
Rangers manager Jeff Banister says they still want the veteran on the field much as possible.
“Look, Adrian is going to be out there as much as we can get him out there. He’s obviously the monster in our lineup,” Banister said.
Beltre bypassed the first nine games of spring training and he’ll likely skip several more spring training games in Surprise, Arizona. The regular season is a different ballgame.
“When the season starts its different. This is spring training. this is getting your mind ready, your body ready to play maybe 180 games all the way to the postseason. It’s like a switch. I can be feeling like (grunts)….once the seasons starts its different. Whatever happens in spring training don’t count. I can feel horrible, but as soon as the season starts, I can feel great the first day.
Ultimately, a healthy and productive Beltre is what everyone wants.
“Having the best version of Adrian throughout as many games as we possibly can is the goal.” Banister said.
Last season at spring training, Adrian went 0-12 at the plate. He joked about it Monday and said he seriously doesn’t worry about any stats in Surprise.
