Mike Trout?is a Los Angeles Angels played through and through. The center fielder is bound on a Hall of Fame path that is almost certain to end in satisfaction. While he’s individually a superstar, the Angels’ lack of success as a team irks fans. Many Trout fans had hoped he would switch to a different franchise, but the 10-time All-Star cites an inspiration for such loyalty -?Derek Jeter. The former New York Yankees captain was a childhood idol for Trout, but in a surprising twist, the Angels player recently snubbed the retired ballplayer.
Then, mere hours after?giving him the cold shoulder, Trout went in the opposite direction to praise Jeter once again.
What was the Derek Jeter snub all about?
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Jeter retired from baseball in 2014 after a successful two-decade career, but the athlete in him is still alive. Away from baseball, the ex-shortstop decided to take up another sport to invest his time in, i.e., golf. Admittedly, Jeter was not as good at it as he would have liked, but he’s still famous for his skills on the greens. Similarly, Mike Trout is also a lover of the sport.
READ MORE -?MLB Veteran Mike Trout Reveals How Derek Jeter Inspires Him to Stay Loyal to Los Angeles Angels
However, when he was asked to assemble his dream team for golf, the Angels star noticeably left out Jeter from the lineup. However, pro golfer Tiger Woods, NBA icon?Michael Jordan, and NFL great?Tom Brady all got a mention. Admittedly, all three have an established history with golf, while Jeter is a relative newbie. Still, it was surprising not to hear a word about the MLB Hall of Famer.
Then, a reporter engaged him in a round of rapid-fire questions at a Halos game.
The best baseball player of this generation talks about his favorite things pic.twitter.com/stNr9rLIGd
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) June 25, 2023
She asked him about his childhood idol, and Trout again evoked the Yankees’ player name. What a 180-turnaround! Trout is undeniably one of the best players of his generation and even got to play with his role model near the end of Jeter’s career. However, just like him, Trout also wants to aim for consecutive victories.
Mike Trout is tired of losing
Throughout his MLB days, Derek Jeter was famous for his competitive nature. An obsession with winning is usual behavior for athletes, but with the former Yankee, his nature helped him become a better player. While his loyalty to the Pinstripes inspired the same in Mike Trout, his desire to win was similar too.
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"I signed a contract here, and one of my goals is to win a World Series in Anaheim. That always pushes me."@Ken_Rosenthal sat down with @MikeTrout to talk about the Angels make-or-break season and Trout's relationship with Shohei Ohtani ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/cyh1Xfy3NE
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 25, 2023
?My role model growing up was Derek Jeter, and he did the same thing. But you got to win, you get frustrated when you lose. The organization, the fans, they want to bring some winning baseball to Anaheim,? the Halos star told Ken Rosenthal in an interview.
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The Angels did recently make history with a historic franchise record against the Colorado Rockies. But they remain in the third position in the AL West with a 42-37 record. Can Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani‘s combined power pull up the rest of the team for a repeat display?