Mookie Betts makes most of first chance at shortstop: ‘A dream come true'

By Rowan Kavner
Published

The Dodgers' shortstop calmly ranged to his left, tracked down the chopper up the middle, sprinted to the second-base bag for one out and used the base to propel his momentum forward, hopping off his left foot and throwing to first base without breaking stride to finish off the double play. 

It was not Corey Seager, as it might have been two years ago. It was not Trea Turner, as it might have been last year. It was not Gavin Lux, as it was supposed to be this year. 

It was Mookie Betts, the six-time Gold Glove Award-winning right fielder, not only making his first career appearance at shortstop but getting his first chance to make a play at the position in his 10-year major-league career. Betts made the difficult look routine, helping keep the game tied in the eighth inning before the Dodgers rallied to a 6-2 road win over the Cubs on Thursday night. 

"Being out there was a lot of fun, a dream come true," Betts told reporters afterward. "Just happy we won."

The ease with which Betts performed the double play belied the nerves he felt as the grounder came his way. 

"But you embrace it," Betts said. "You learn to play nervous. If I wasn’t nervous, that would probably mean I don’t love it."

He especially loves playing the infield — and shortstop, in particular. 

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When the Red Sox drafted Betts in 2011, the description read, "Round 5, Pick 172: Mookie Betts, SS, Overton High School (Tenn.)."

Betts came up through the ranks as a middle infielder, primarily playing second base before moving to right field in an effort to speed his path to the majors. But his love for the infield persisted. 

Last year, the six-time All-Star outfielder got his wish, starting five games at second base. He's continued to get time at the position this year, making four starts at second base and 13 in right field. 

But manager Dave Roberts said Betts "has been clamoring for quite some time" to get his chance at the more prominent middle infield spot. 

"I think that’s his goal in life," Roberts said, "is to be a major-league shortstop."

With injuries littering the roster, it seemed likeliest that Betts’ first chance at shortstop would come Wednesday in the series finale against the Mets at Dodger Stadium. 

The Dodgers were playing a day game after a night game and had planned to get Miguel Rojas, who dealt with a groin injury early this year, off his feet. Then Rojas strained his hamstring, further restricting the already limited options with Chris Taylor nursing a side injury. 

But Betts was not yet activated off the paternity list. 

He welcomed his second child earlier this week. After three days away, Betts met the Dodgers on Thursday night at Wrigley Field. The game began in a rain delay, which helped buy him some time to arrive. 

"I was like three miles away for, like, 40 minutes," Betts said. 

Luke Williams started the game at shortstop. First pitch was at 7:44 p.m. CT. Betts estimated he made it to the field about six minutes later, got dressed, and jogged down to the dugout within the first few innings. He had spent most of the past 48 hours in a hospital room sleeping in a chair. But he knew the situation, and the opportunity, in front of him. 

On the way to the ballpark, Freddie Freeman called him and let him know he’d be playing. Roberts texted Betts and told him to be ready for anything. 

In the seventh inning of a 2-2 game, Betts pinch-hit for Williams and laced a single. In the bottom of the inning, he trotted out to shortstop for the first time in his major-league career. 

"I just told Doc, I just want to win," Betts said. "So, I’ll play wherever, I’ll do whatever. I grew up doing this, so it’s nothing new to me." 

Betts made 12 starts at shortstop for low-A Lowell in 2012 and hadn’t played shortstop in any professional game since getting two innings at the position in the Arizona Fall League on Oct. 8, 2013. That day, he committed an error in his lone opportunity at the position. 

Ten years later, it went more smoothly for Betts. 

"It’s a challenge just because I’ve never done it at this level," Betts said. "But, again, I’ve been doing this my whole life. It’s nothing really new. It’s just new because it’s in the big leagues."

The play Betts made up the middle came at a crucial point in the eighth inning with two on and no outs in a tie game. It swung the win expectancy more than any play in the game aside from James Outman’s grand slam an inning later, a moment the rookie described as the biggest of his young career. 

With Rojas out, Yonny Hernández getting optioned and the Dodgers still hesitant to rush Taylor back, it might not be Betts’ last opportunity at his favorite spot. 

"I could see it happening more often," Roberts said.

Rowan Kavner covers the Dodgers and NL West for FOX Sports. He previously was the Dodgers’ editor of digital and print publications. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner. 

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