In a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez was tracking a fly ball off of the bat of White Sox shortstop Elvis Andrus. In doing so, Rodriguez ran into the wall, and was slow to get up. As the 2022 Rookie of the Year had his hands on his knees, the collected hopes of Mariners fans, and the entire city of Seattle, were dimming by the second.
Then Rodriguez was able to keep going, after needing a few seconds from apparently getting the wind knocked out from the collision.
The good thing is Julio Rodriguez is okay, and he talked about the encounter with the wall in an interview captured by Mariners insider Shannon Drayer.
“I feel like I totally use my abilities whenever I have the opportunity of doing so,” he said. “I feel I’m not always going out there reckless. If a play comes to me, I’m ready for it. Instead of, like, I was going out of control kind of reckless in a way? I prepare myself every time that I ask my body to do something, it going to go out there and do it. I feel like that’s kind of what I manage. Just going to be smart, but at the same time knowing that whenever the play is going to come like that, I’m ready to go.”
In hearing these comments, we have to remember Rodriguez is 22-years-old, and there's still a youthful excitement that comes with that age. Having said that, one can be sure Mariners coaches and management will talk to him about being more careful taking those chances. Rodriguez being signed until 2035 would entice Seattle brass to encourage more safety also.
In other words, maybe spring training isn't the time to run into walls.
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