Paul Goldschmidt on his 1,000th career hit: ‘It doesn’t mean anything’
Sep 13, 2017, 11:10 PM | Updated: Sep 14, 2017, 11:37 am
Arizona Diamondbacks' Paul Goldschmidt (44) is greeted in the dugout by manager Torey Lovullo (17) and David Peralta (6) after scoring on a double by J.D. Martinez during the third inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
(AP Photo/Matt York)
Leave it to the ever-steady Paul Goldschmidt to put his consistency in perspective when discussing his 1,000th career hit as a major-leaguer.
After he clubbed his 1,000th knock as an Arizona Diamondback on Wednesday, becoming just the second player in franchise history to do so, the first baseman was asked by reporters if he’d like to reflect on the milestone.
“No,” Goldschmidt said flatly before offering a brief chuckle. “I don’t care. It’s better than 999 but it doesn’t really matter. It is what it is — it’s a hit.
“It was nice of (the fans) to definitely cheer right there,” he added. “The only thing I care about is us trying to win that game. So glad we won.”
Arizona did by an 8-2 final, clinching a season series against the NL West rival Colorado Rockies who also happen to be chasing the top Wild Card spot. The D-backs also locked up the season series — a good thing had Colorado ended the year tied them in the standings and needing a tiebreaker to earn homefield advantage.
But for reaching such a significant mark during what’s been another MVP-caliber season for himself, Goldschmidt’s reaction symbolizes what’s gotten him here — straight-shooting, analytical evaluation and a level-headedness that probably has something to do with him reaching the 1,000-hit mark in the first place.
“What does it mean? You got a thousand hits. Cool. It doesn’t mean anything,” Goldschmidt said when asked again about the accomplishment.
“It’s one of those things I think you may reflect on once it’s over, whether it’s a season or career. It’s never been a goal to get any individual milestones, so when something like that happens — plus it’s just an arbitrary number. Why does 1,000 mean anything?”
The only goal Goldschmidt would speak of Wednesday wasn’t about hits or home runs. It wasn’t about him.
It was about getting a World Series win.
