While Anthony Rendon has rapidly become one of the stars of the Washington Nationals and one of the bright young players in the National League, it would seem he doesn’t enjoy the game of baseball quite as much as some might think. In fact, Rendon doesn’t enjoy watching the game at all, according to an interview he gave to Jason Butt at the Washington Post just before the start of the All Star Break.
"I have a bed at home waiting for me to sleep in. It’s a good four day vacation. We have a long season ahead. I don’t watch baseball – it’s too long and boring."
Rendon has apparently never taken much interest in watching the All Star Game, or most other games during the season. He’d much prefer to watch something on the History Channel instead. Discussing the game of baseball isn’t even an option when he’s home.
Separating one’s “work life” with one’s “personal life” is great, but it begs the question – why call the game you play for a living long and boring?
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Rendon is just 24 years old. He’s still learning many of the ins and outs of being a professional athlete, despite his rapid success on the field. Perhaps this was merely an instance where he overstated his position, not thinking of how the fans – those same fans who fought feverishly to get him added onto the All Star team through MLB’s Final Vote only to fall short in the end – may respond.
Rendon is hitting .287/.343/.490. He leads the Nationals in batting average, hits (103), and is second in home runs (13). He’s been steady defensively. On a roster with big names such as Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, and Stephen Strasburg he’s arguably been the team’s MVP.
He offers a definite value on the field. His opinions toward the game off it, however, likely doesn’t match up with the same views of most of the team’s fans. Rendon will be fine so long as he continues to produce at the plate, where he’s already exceeding expectations, but he might want to think twice before his next interview.