Arizona Diamondbacks’ Paul Goldschmidt focused on playoffs, not MVP talk
Aug 21, 2013, 9:19 PM | Updated: 9:19 pm
The legend continues to grow.
Paul Goldschmidt, slugger.
Paul Goldschmidt, clutch player.
Paul Goldschmidt, MVP?
The 25-year-old first baseman is hitting .297 with 31 home home runs and an NL-best 100 RBI, and there’s little doubt his monster season has kept the Arizona Diamondbacks in the playoff hunt.
Yet, in typical Goldschmidt fashion, he’s not interested in talking about himself or his accomplishments.
“Every hitter has some successes and failures, I think you just try to learn from some of the failures and hopefully that helps you in future situations,” he told Arizona Sports 620’s Bickley with Marotta Wednesday.
This season, Goldschmidt’s list of successes is significantly longer than the one of his failures. Tuesday night was filled with much of the former, as his 8th inning grand slam provided the necessary cushion for the D-backs to get a much-needed win over the Cincinnati Reds.
A first-time All-Star, Goldschmidt has quickly become one of the best players in all of baseball.
That’s according to everyone but the 25-year-old, by the way.
“I just think there is a lot of credit to go around,” Goldschmidt said. “This is a team game so there’s a lot of people that help me.”
Pointing to his coaching staff and teammates as those who also deserve credit, Goldschmidt also acknowledged things can change in a hurry.
“This is a very humbling game,” he noted. “The second you think you’ve got it figured out, it will come and kick you around and knock you down a peg or two.”
That said, Goldschmidt certainly enjoys the good times more than the bad, which means he’s probably had a smile on his face for much of this season. However, it’s not about him.
Saying he doesn’t pay attention to the MVP talk because the conversation changes depending on how well he’s playing, Goldschmidt said the only thing he’s focused on is his team’s postseason chances.
“It’s all about us trying to make the playoffs and about the team,” he said. “That’s all everyone on this team cares about.”
The way Goldschmidt views things, he is just one part of a team effort in trying to get the D-backs into the playoffs. At 65-59 they are on the outside looking in, but the season is not over and as long as the team’s first baseman keeps playing like this, it may be unwise to count them out.
“I try to show up and put in the work every day, try to prepare for each day’s game, and hopefully we can go out and get on a little roll,” he said. “And finish strong and try to make the playoffs.”
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