Greinke, Marte cut from different cloths
CLEVELAND -- D-backs second baseman Ketel Marte, who plays baseball at full speed, slowed down enough on Monday to discuss the All-Star Game’s true meaning to him.
“I dedicated this to my mom,” he said, remembering his mother, who died two summers ago in a car accident. “I’m so excited. I can’t wait for my first at-bat. I’m doing everything for my mom. I will try to do my best to make my family happy.”
• All-Star Game presented by Mastercard: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX
Marte hopes that he can savor moments and memories from his first All-Star experience. Before embarking for Cleveland, he received advice from D-backs outfielder Adam Jones, a five-time All-Star.
“He said, ‘Go out there and have fun,’” recalled Marte, who is one of two D-backs selected for the Midsummer Classic, along with right-hander Zack Greinke (who opted out this year due to personal reasons). “‘Do the best you can and live the dream.’”
It’s a sure bet that Marte, 25, will listen to Jones. Marte plays with his emotions on his sleeve. So he’s likely to enjoy whatever transpires in Cleveland. That includes being introduced on the Red Carpet on Monday night. Marte’s flashy dressing prompted teammates to observe a “Dress like Ketel” theme on their most recent road trip in which they tried to wear the most outlandish outfits they could come up with as a tribute.
The baseball public seemed to embrace Marte’s style. He won the NL fan vote, capturing 39.2 percent of the vote to outdistance the other two finalists, Atlanta's Ozzie Albies (34.3) and Milwaukee's Mike Moustakas (26.5).
Acquired by the D-backs from the Mariners in one of general manager Mike Hazen’s first moves upon taking over following the 2016 season, Marte played well last year but has blossomed this year.
"We're watching one of the up-and-coming stars of Major League Baseball," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said.
Marte added about 10-12 pounds of muscle during the offseason and the switch-hitter has improved his stroke from the left side this year. He entered the All-Star break with a left-handed-hitting slash line of .311/.366/.535, complemented by 11 home runs and 32 RBIs. His corresponding figures last year were .224/.300/.352, with five homers and 30 RBIs.
Marte wants what Greinke has. This year, the six-time All-Star has refined his ability to get hitters out with a mixture of pitches, pinpoint location and the wiliness that comes with studying hitters for more than a decade. At 35, Greinke has made a lot of his success seem effortless.
"I would say that my command has been really good this year," said Greinke, whose 7.2 strikeout-to-walk ratio is by far the best among any of his 16 seasons (the next-best is his 5.00 mark in 2015). "That makes it seem that way a little bit more so. You’re throwing the ball where you want and that takes away a lot of the stress. You’re able to throw it where you want, multiple pitches where you want, so that makes it nice."
While Marte’s joy at making the All-Star team was obvious, Greinke’s was less so.
“It’s nice,” Greinke said.
Ask Greinke’s teammates about him and they will tell you that away from the cameras and media more of his personality comes out and that he is willing to share the information he’s gleaned over the years.
So will Greinke spend time sharing thoughts and pitching philosophies while in Cleveland?
"Well, yeah. That is one thing you could do there," Greinke said. "Sometimes I like it. Sometimes I don't feel like talking."
The 2019 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard will be played on Tuesday, July 9, at Progressive Field in Cleveland. It will be televised nationally by FOX Sports; in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by partners in more than 180 countries. FOX Deportes will provide Spanish-language coverage in the United States, while ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage. MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage.