Times are golden for Paul Goldschmidt

Let me add to a great stat provided by Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. He notes that in Paul Goldschmidt’s 48 at-bats with runners in scoring position, Goldy’s slash line is .458/.482/.915. Remember, we’re talking about a player who has yet to play two full seasons at the MLB level.

But the stat that astounds me is the payroll adjustment he has undergone while the baseball statistics improve.

Let’s say you make $50,000 per year. Your boss calls you into his office to tell you he’s very impressed with your work. You will now make almost twice that yearly total… each month. The increase in Goldschmidt’s salary is the same mathematically as $50K going to $1.07 million. I don’t bring this up to make you jealous or upset about baseball salaries. I’m asking you a simple question. Would it change you?

Of course you’d buy a new house and a new car, but those things don’t change you. I mean, at your job, would you be different. Are you sure you’d never show up for work unfocused? Would you act differently as if to show you’ve arrived? Would you work just as hard as you did to earn the raise in the first place? Are you saying with a guaranteed contract for five years, you’d never say the line, “What are they going to do, fire me?”

Goldschmidt got paid. If he doesn’t screw up and invest in moisture farming on Tatooine, Goldschmidt is set for life, but he’s not set in baseball. He’s accomplished as much as you can in the 2+ years of a career. Yet Goldschmidt understands that he’s done nothing relative to a whole career. The money has affected nothing. He prepares the same, works the same while producing more.

The only thing left for Goldschmidt is to embrace his future attention rate. Fans will love and already love him. He has a chance to make history. He accepts that attention but doesn’t love it. He’s so humble, he takes the opinion, “I’m not a big deal. Let me focus on work.” The spotlight is going to be on him no matter what. If he embraces what is needed from him outside the game, he will be everything that is needed inside the game.

The ride is just beginning.

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