In the midst of a playoff slump that had lasted over parts of four straight seasons, Nashville’s Mookie Betts tried to fix things the best way he knew how: Swing, swing and swing some more.
The Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop finally snapped out of his postseason struggles in a big way earlier this month, which is one of the reasons his team is headed to the World Series.
kAmq6EED[ 2? ~G6CE@? w:89 $49@@= 8C25[ :D @?6 @7 EH@ }2D9G:==6 4@??64E:@?D E@ E9:D J62C’D u2== r=2DD:4[ H9:49 368:?D uC:52J 2E fi_g A]>] r% H96? E96 s@586CD A=2J 9@DE E@ E96 }6H *@C< *2?<66D]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ q6EED[ E96 s@586CD 762EFC6 7@C>6C '2?56C3:=E A:E496C (2=<6C qF69=6C[ H9@ 96=A65 E96 r@>>@5@C6D H:? E96:C 7:CDE r@==686 (@C=5 $6C:6D :? a_`c]k^Am
kAmq6EED :D D66<:?8 9:D E9:C5 (@C=5 $6C:6D E:E=6[ 27E6C 96=A:?8 q@DE@? H:? :E 2== :? a_`g 2?5 E96 s@586CD :? a_a_] qF69=6C :D =@@<:?8 E@ H:? E96 (@C=5 $6C:6D 7@C 2 D64@?5 E:>6[ 2D 96 H2D 2 E62>>2E6 @7 q6EEDV @? E96 a_a_ s@586CD DBF25]k^Am
kAm%96 ba\J62C\@=5 q6EED[ 2 7:7E9\C@F?5 A:4< @7 E96 #65 $@I :? a_``[ 92D 2=C625J AFE E@86E96C BF:E6 2 42C66C]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ 9:D (@C=5 $6C:6D E:E=6D[ q6EED H2D ?2>65 2? p==\$E2C 7@C E96 6:89E9 E:>6 :? a_ac] w6 92D 62C?65 D:I v@=5 v=@G6D 2?5 H2D E96 p>6C:42? {628F6’D >@DE G2=F23=6 A=2J6C :? a_`g]k^Am
kAm$@ :E H2D DFCAC:D:?8 E@ D66 q6EED DECF88=6 :? C646?E A@DED62D@?D]k^Am
kAmw6 9:E ;FDE ]`fc 282:?DE pE=2?E2 :? E96 a_a` }2E:@?2= {628F6 492>A:@?D9:A D6C:6D[ ]`cb 282:?DE E96 $2? s:68@ !25C6D :? 2 5:G:D:@?2= D6C:6D E96 7@==@H:?8 J62C[ H6?E _\7@C\`` 282:?DE pC:K@?2 :? 2 5:G:D:@?2= D6C:6D :? a_ab 2?5 E96? 9:E ]aaa 282:?DE E96 !25C6D :? E9:D J62C’D 5:G:D:@?2= D6C:6D G:4E@CJ]k^Am
kAm%96 D=F>A H2D AC@3=6>2E:4 6?@F89 E92E q6EED DE6AA65 2H2J 7C@> D@4:2= >65:2[ 766=:?8 :E H2D @?=J 255:?8 E@ E96 DEC6DD 2?5 AC6DDFC6 96 76=E]k^Am
kAm“xEVD E@F89 E@ C62==J 86E 2H2J 7C@> 6G6CJE9:?8 3642FD6 6G6CJ@?6VD H2E49:?8[” q6EED E@=5 C6A@CE6CD 5FC:?8 E96 5:G:D:@?2= D6C:6D E9:D J62C] “%96C6VD 72>:=J[ 7C:6?5D[ ,>65:2.[ 6G6CJ3@5J :D H2E49:?8] p?5 xV> 5@:?8 E9:D[ xV> E2=<:?8[ D@ E96C6VD ?@ C62= H2J E@ 86E 2H2J 7C@> :E]k^Am
kAm“$@ C62==J ;FDE 86EE:?8 @77 >J A9@?6[ DA6?5:?8 E:>6 H:E9 >J <:5D[ >J H:76[ >J 72>:=J[ E92EVD C62==J E96 62D:6DE H2J E@ 86E 2H2J 7C@> :E]k^Am
kAmQp?5 E96? D@>6E:>6D x ;FDE 8@ :?E@ E96 =@4<6C C@@> 2?5 ;FDE D:E 3J >JD6=7 ;FDE E@ 86E 2H2J 7C@> 2== E96 E9:?8D E92E 2C6 8@:?8 @? 2?5 ,x. 42? C6D6E 2?5 4@>6 324< E@ :E]”k^Am
kAmxE H2D 24EF2==J :? E92E D6C:6D 282:?DE E96 !25C6D 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9 E92E q6EED 3682? EFC?:?8 E9:?8D 2C@F?5]k^Am
kAmq6EED’ 9@>6 CF? :? v2>6 %9C66 282:?DE $2? s:68@ D?2AA65 2 K6C@\7@C\aa A@DED62D@? D=F>A E92E 925 6IE6?565 324< E@ a_aa] %96 d\h[ `g_\A@F?5 q6EED 7@==@H65 FA E92E 9@>6C H:E9 2?@E96C C@F?5\EC:AA6C :? E96 s@586CD’ H:? @? ~4E] h[ 2?5 E9:?8D 92G6 4@?E:?F65 E@ 8@ H6== @G6C E96 A2DE 4@FA=6 H66<D]k^Am
kAmx?4=F5:?8 E96 ?:89E 96 3C@<6 E96 _\7@C\aa A=2J@77 D<:5[ q6EED 92D 8@?6 `b\7@C\bg W]bcaX 2E E96 A=2E6 :? 9:D =2DE ?:?6 82>6D[ E@E2=:?8 7@FC 9@>6 CF?D[ 7@FC 5@F3=6D 2?5 `a #qxD] w:D AC@5F4E:@? :D @?6 @7 E96 >2:? C62D@?D E96 s@586CD 92G6 8@?6 e\b 5FC:?8 E92E DEC6E49[ 56762E:?8 E96 !25C6D 2?5 }6H *@C< |6ED :? DF446DD:G6 D6C:6D]k^Am
kAmw@H 5:5 q6EED EFC? E9:?8D 2C@F?5nk^Am
kAmx? 2 492?86 7C@> 9:D C68F=2C\D62D@? C@FE:?6[ q6EED 6IA=2:?65 E92E 96 DE2CE65 E2<:?8 FA E@ d__ AC24E:46 DH:?8D A6C 52J[ D66<:?8 2 C6EFC? E@ 9:D ?@C>2==J AC@5F4E:G6 H2JD]k^Am
kAm“x ?6G6C 5@ :E 5FC:?8 E96 D62D@?[” q6EED E@=5 C6A@CE6CD 5FC:?8 E96 }{ r92>A:@?D9:A $6C:6D] “xEVD C62==J ?@E DFDE2:?23=6] xV> DFCAC:D65 x 92G6?VE 3C@<6 5@H?[ 3FE x 5@ 2 C62==J 8@@5 ;@3 :? E2<:?8 42C6 @7 >J 3@5J]k^Am
kAm“xEVD ?@E D@>6E9:?8 E92E x H2?E E@ 5@] x 5@?VE H2?E E@ 8@ :? E96C6 2?5 9:E 2== 52J] qFE :EVD D@>6E9:?8 E92E[ 32D65 @77 @7 >J A=2J[ x ?665 E@ 5@]”k^Am
kAmq6EED H2D 2D<65 H96E96C 96 H2D =@@<:?8 7@C 2 46CE2:? “766=” H:E9 2== E96 AC24E:46 DH:?8D[ @C H96E96C 96 H2D ECJ:?8 E@ 492?86 9:D >6492?:4D]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< E92EVD E96 A@:?E @7 E96 d__ DH:?8D 3642FD6 x 5@?VE <?@H[” q6EED D2:5] “xV> ECJ:?8 E@ 7:8FC6 @FE H9:49 @?6 :E :D 2?5 9@A67F==J D@>6E9:?8 DE:4<D] }@E 9:EE:?8 :D 567:?:E6=J ]]] J@F’C6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 7:?5 :E ?@E 9:EE:?8] xVG6 8@E E@ =@@< 7@C :E D@>69@H :? E9@D6 4@FA=6 9F?5C65] xE H:== 36 :? E96C6]”k^Am
kAm$FC6 6?@F89[ q6EED 7@F?5 :E H:E9 E96 9@>6 CF? 282:?DE $2? s:68@ :? v2>6 %9C66[ 2?5 96’D 366? DH:?8:?8 2 9@E 32E 6G6C D:?46]k^Am
kAm“x 8@E E@ D66 @?6 72==[” q6EED E@=5 E96 |{q @? u@I 3C@2542DE:?8 4C6H 7@==@H:?8 E92E 4@?E6DE] “x 76=E <:?5 @7 =:<6 $E6A9 rFCCJ 2 =:EE=6 3:E] x ;FDE ?66565 E@ D66 @?6 8@ :? 2?5 E96? x <?6H x 4@F=5 5@ :E]”k^Am
kAmpD 7@C qF69=6C[ 96 C6EFC?65 E@ E96 >2;@CD :? |2J 27E6C F?56C8@:?8 E96 D64@?5 %@>>J y@9? DFC86CJ @7 9:D 42C66C :? a_aa[ 2 AC@465FC6 E92E 42FD65 9:> E@ >:DD E96 6?E:C6 a_ab D62D@?]k^Am
kAmw6 DECF88=65 :? `e C68F=2C\D62D@? DE2CED E9:D J62C[ A@DE:?8 2 `\e C64@C5 2?5 d]bg t#p]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 b_\J62C\@=5 qF69=6C 42>6 E9C@F89 H:E9 2 3:8 A@DED62D@? A6C7@C>2?46 :? E96 }{ r92>A:@?D9:A $6C:6D[ 2D 96 DE2CE65 2?5 A:E4965 7@FC D4@C6=6DD :??:?8D[ DEC:<:?8 @FE D:I |6ED :? E96 s@586CD’ g\_ H:?]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 9:D 3:886DE >@>6?ED :? E92E 4@?E6DE @44FCC65 :? E96 D64@?5 :??:?8[ H96? qF69=6C DECF4< @FE |6ED DE2C uC2?4:D4@ {:?5@C H:E9 EH@ @FED 2?5 E96 32D6D =@2565]k^Am
kAm“u@C >6[ A6CD@?2==J[ :EVD 9F86[” qF69=6C E@=5 C6A@CE6CD 27E6CH2C5] “x E9:?< E96 =2DE E:>6 x C62==J >256 2 A:E49 E92E[ :? E96 A=2J@77D[ E92E <:?5 @7 8@E :E E9C@F89 H2D a_a_ 282:?DE pE=2?E2[ <:?5 @7 2 D:>:=2C D:EF2E:@?]k^Am
