MLB’s spring training usually brings a whole lot of chatter. Fresh rotations, roster moves, and even debates about a few prospects are all common talks during spring training. But the reigning World Series Champion, the Los Angeles Dodgers, had more than chatter on their plate. They had a real showdown. But not on the diamond but rather on the pickleball court!
So, while the rest of the baseball world tagged them the ‘evil empire of baseball’ and wondered if they would be the first team to three-peat since the Yankees, they were busy in their saga. Assistant GM Jeff Kingston vs. Triple-A manager, Scott Hennessey, was busy planning a pickleball battle. And it was the talk of the town!
“It’s the most hotly talked-about topic in my seven years with the Dodgers,” said pitching coach Mark Prior. Dave Roberts, too, was hyping up the entire madness. Scott Hennessey meanwhile went full-on competitive on Mookie Betts!
Kingston revealed to ESPN that Hennessey told Betts on his face, ‘I’ll beat you tomorrow for $10K.” Kingston labeled it as a “stone-cold s** talker.” Bet that hit Betts, given he has been pickleballing for a while now. Last year he revealed he goes to random parks and plays with random people, and how much he simply enjoyed the game.
As far as the trash talk by Hennessey goes, everyone knows that in pickleball this is extremely common. The vibe about the entire ordeal was so high that the match was moved off-site to Chicken N Pickle, a local restaurant, just so they could accommodate the 80-100 Dodgers staff who wanted to watch.
The team was divided on whom to support with Dave Roberts placing his bet on Hennessey, saying, “Hennessey is a self-proclaimed great pickleball player. When somebody is a self-advocate for themselves, I like to see it play out in competition.” And Andrew Friedman went with the underdog Kingston. Ultimately, the unthinkable happened—it was Kingston who won!
Later, Kingston said, “The whole place is going crazy. Henny was speechless.” Well, now Mookie Betts has $10k pending. But that aside, one thing is for sure: pickleball is taking over people all over.
Baseball madness taking over MLB
Pickleball isn’t the same as it was before. The fast-paced paddle sport is now replacing even golf and basketball as the player’s go-to day activity. Teams have gone on to install courts at their spring training facilities in Arizona and Florida too. Because more than a sport, it is also turning out to be a stress buster. Just ask J.D. Martinez!
Right after the New York Mets failed to reach the off-season, the slugger was asked about what’s next, and he said, “Pickleball.” Not off-season plans of free agency, but rather the pickleball. And since then he has even signed with JOOLA, a paddle brand. “I see pickleball as a sport I’ll be involved in for the long run,” Martinez said. And it’s not just him; Mookie Betts is a big fan.
Betts had said last season, “Pickleball, that’s my jam.” But for now, he is keeping his distance from the paddle. Whether or now it’s by choice or not is debatable though. Andrew Friedman apparently didn’t like the fact that Betts was taking on the injury risks that come with the game. And shortly, Mookie Betts said, “I’m done; I got hooked on golf again. And I’m playing shortstop now. I don’t have time to be doing all that running and stuff.” But not all teams are pulling back because teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs have embraced the game too.
Do you think pickleball is becoming a full-blown thing in MLB, or is it just in a hobby stage? Let us know!
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