Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout was about to play in his fifth All-Star Game in his five full Major League Baseball seasons on Tuesday night at Petco Park in San Diego.
His mind however was not tuned to just the game as he could be seen darting in and out of the home clubhouse busing doing promotions, making appearances on TV, signing jerseys and not really thinking of the game until it was nearly time to have batting practice.
He is getting used to doing these types of things at All-Star games even though he is just 24. He also has found a way to slow everything down to his own likes.
Trout opened up his latest stint on the American League All-Star team with a single to center against Johnny Cueto the San Francisco Giants starter.
The hit was Trout’s sixth in 11 at bats as an All-Star. He struck out his second time at bat against Jose Fernandez the ace from the Miami Marlins. In his last at bat, Trout hit into a fielder’s choice and was then replaced in the AL lineup.
This was the third consecutive year Trout did not win the All-Star Game MVP award.
His single during his first at bat may have started another cycle of sorts.
In 2012, Trout in his first at bat singled, in 2013 in his first at bat he doubled, in 2014 in his first at bat he tripled and you guessed it right, in 2015, he hit a home run in his first at bat.
With his hit on Tuesday, he became the first player in MLB history to have a hit in his first appearance at the plate in five straight All-Star Games. His six hits overall are second most for a player less than 25 years of age behind only the eight hits by Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.
Trout insisted when asked by reporters that he did not think about those kinds of stats. He did say that he enjoys the games more because the first couple flew by so fast that now he takes the time to enjoy them more.
