Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Took On a New Hobby This Year

Is there something Mookie Betts can’t do?

Betts has just about achieved all of it on the baseball subject, profitable an MVP award, a batting title, three World Sequence rings, six Gold Gloves, and 6 Silver Sluggers. Nevertheless, the Dodgers star’s resume is stacked.

Past baseball, Betts can be a formidable bowler, having competed within the PBA U.S. Open final yr and persistently bowling good 300 video games.

However, a brand new interest caught his consideration this yr when he’s away from the baseball subject.

“Pickleball, that’s my jam,” a mic’d-up Betts stated earlier this yr. “I like enjoying pickleball.”

Pickleball, a paddle sport mixing components of tennis and badminton, has surged in recognition in recent times. In accordance with a 2022 report from the Sports activities & Health Trade Affiliation, it was named the fastest-growing sport for the second consecutive yr, with participation rising by 39.3 p.c over the earlier two years and greater than 4.8 million folks enjoying the sport.

Betts is a kind of folks and is at all times prepared for a problem.

“I simply go to random parks and simply play random folks,” Betts stated. “I like the grasp. You get to speak to folks and get to fulfill folks. Lots of people have hearth in them, particularly in pickleball. They get actually mad, which I like.”

Pickleball attracted Betts as a result of there isn’t a restrict to who can play.

“The cool factor is you could be wherever from 10 to 80 and play pickleball,” Betts stated. “I’ve obtained loads of buddies – random 70- and 80-year-old folks I am going hang around with, particularly in Spring Coaching. I’ve a crew. I don’t know any of ’em, I don’t know any of their names, however I simply go hang around with them. It’s enjoyable.”

Betts doesn’t thoughts if folks acknowledge him. He simply desires to play and have some enjoyable.

“Yeah however I don’t care,” he stated on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast. “It helps as a result of folks wish to play. I wish to play, they usually wish to play with me. They’re normally fairly chill. They could take an image or one thing afterward however I don’t care. I similar to going amongst folks. … Once I’m on the market with these random folks, like, I’m having a dialog with them, speaking to them — particularly in between video games, attending to know who they’re. How typically do they arrive out right here?”

Betts says he’s “most likely a 5” and would like to play in some tournaments sooner or later.

Photograph Credit score: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Photos

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