INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Mike Trout can do everything on a baseball field The term five tool player describes his talent perfectly He hits for average and power runs like the wind covers center field and throws the ball with strength and accuracy Most people agree that he is the most talented player in the game He has been consistently great since his rookie season of 2012 He plays in the media spotlight of Los Angeles California He boasts an engaging personality He is likable So why is Mike Trout not the face of baseball Why do fans not see him in dozens of commercials The answer is simple He does not want the attention Trout is too modest to grab it He was raised by his parents to be humble He prefers spending time with friends in his hometown of Millville New Jersey to flying around the country making more money Why else would he have continued to live with his parents after signing a 144-million contract Trout is not driven by fame and fortune but they come with the territory They come with his greatness as a baseball player Anyone who finishes near the top of the Most Valuable Player MVP vote every year and wins the award twice is destined for recognition Trout does not seek the spotlight He just earns it 4
Mike Trout’s speed allows him to slide safely ahead of the tag by Detroit Tigers catcher Brayan Pena in a 2013 victory of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim over the Tigers 5
Home Sweet Home Rookie pitcher Mike Morin would never forget the moment Spring training was nearing an end Morin was hoping to land a spot with the Los Angeles Angels It was a sizzling hot afternoon in Arizona Superstar teammate Mike Trout approached him in the locker room according to baseball columnist Peter Gammons Want to play golf this afternoon he asked Morin replied that it would take time to retrieve his Mike Trout is a great ambassador for the sport of baseball He spends a lot of time interacting with fans and signing autographs 6 CHAPTER ONE
golf clubs eat and shower Trout had a solution He would take Morin’s food order and pick it up He would then bring it to the golf course Trout had broken baseball tradition The best players in the world do not cater to rookies They do not carry their bags in hotels They do not get their lunches But Trout is different He is humble He does not feel superior to anyone and Morin appreciated it Home Sweet Home Mike is flanked by his parents Jeff and Debbie Trout at an event at the Empire State Building in New York City 7 That’s all anyone needs to know about Mike Trout he said according to Gammons He’s the best player in the game and I’m trying to make the team And he’s taking my order and picking up my food so we can play together He has no air of being a star He’s just the most normal person you could ever meet That praise would surprise nobody in Millville New Jersey That is where Michael Nelson Trout was raised after his birth on August 7 1991 in nearby Vineland Those in the small community speak glowingly about Trout They praise him for remaining modest despite his wealth and fame They thank his parents Jeff and Debbie Trout The two former schoolteachers brought their son up to be humble Jeff taught American and world
