Jared Sandler Remembers Prince The Player & Father As His Career Comes To An Abrupt End
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As a baseball player, I hope fans remember Prince Fielder as one of the game's feared hitters for nearly a decade-long stretch. The Rangers never quite saw that guy, but I can promise you, for those of you who forgot, he absolutely existed in that form. Check out his ranks from 2006-2013:
HR: 4th (283)
RBI: 4th (860)
OPS: .9th (.918)
H: 10th (1335)
R: 8th (734)
G: 1st (1283)
GW RBI: T-2nd (114)
He hit 50 HR in 2007. In that same year, Alex Rodriguez hit 54. Since then, however, only Chris Davis (53, 2013) and Jose Bautista (54, 2010) have reached the half-century mark.
Fielder and Ryan Howard tallied 141 RBI in 2009. No one has reached 140 since then.
Damn. He was so good. We just never saw it.
Some people might remember Fielder as a 13-year old who was hitting no-doubt home runs at Tiger Stadium. Others might remember that pudgy youngster doing the same thing with the same ease against MLB pitching less than a decade later. He always played the game with an infectious smile (and, when you got to be around him, an infectious laugh) as well as a subtle competitive fire. Maybe they'll remember that every one of his teammates attended, by choice, the press conference in which he announced his playing days were over.
When I think about what I will remember about Prince as time passes, I think about something he said at one of the lowest points of his career, at least according to the court of public opinion.
It was October 20, 2013. The Tigers had just lost in the ALCS to the Red Sox. Fielder had a rough post-season, hitting just .225 with not a single RBI and just one extra-base hit ( a double). Living and working on-air in Michigan at the time, I remember that Fielder was the primary culprit as far as Tigers fans were concerned.
After the deciding game, the media asked Fielder about his struggles, a critical base-running error, and the loss, in general. When asked about the disappointment of the playoff exit, Fielder responded very candidly: "You got to be a man about it, you know. I got kids...if I'm sitting around pouting how am I going to tell them to keep their chins up or keep their heads up when something doesn't go their way?"
When asked a follow up, he explained: "I still have to be a father and take care of my kids, so you have to move on."
Fielder was ripped mercilessly in the media for what they believed to be a lack of competitive fire and a disregard for the goals of the team. Some believe it was his final straw, ultimately leading to the trade that off-season that sent him to Texas. Let's hope that rumor was just that: a rumor. What a shame if a guy's conviction for his family was reason to ship him out of town.
I went on-air the next day and defended him and felt like I was in the extreme minority doing so. Years later, I stand by that.
I'm a die hard sports fan, rooting passionately for my favorite teams, maybe to the detriment of my long-term health at times. With that said, my reaction to Prince's comments was way less outrage and way more, "If I can only be so lucky one day," thinking about the great opportunity to be a dad.
Maybe Prince's timing wasn't right, but the guy was being honest. And he lives that message, too. After being around him with the Tigers and the Rangers, I can tell you his comments weren't just lip-service. He absolutely loves having his kids around and the easiest way to get Prince talking is asking him about his kids. I know more about his kids than I do him. For instance, I know that Haven, his youngest, loves basketball but, according to Prince, tries too hard to be Steph Curry shooting from the perimeter instead of "getting his big butt down on the block." There's so much more, too.
I'll remember Prince as a uniquely talented and shaped baseball player and I'll remember him as someone who absolutely loved playing the game. I'll remember the praise bestowed upon him by teammates in Texas for his leadership and the respect they had for how much pain through which he played. But, more than anything else, I'll remember the day Prince Fielder put everything in perspective right after one of his lowest professional moments, expressing genuine love for his kids only to get absolutely ripped in the media for doing so. If only I can be so lucky one day to have kids about whom I care more than my job.
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