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Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
How Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran is dealing with self-imposed pressure to live up to last year's All-Star season
And yet Duran's season doesn't exist in isolation. It's taking place in the shadow of his remarkable 2024 performance, during which he hit .285/.342/.492 with 83 extra-base hits and 34 steals, a dynamo who won All-Star MVP honors and finished eighth in American League MVP voting. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Often this year, Duran has been minding that gap. Advertisement 'It's kind of hard to not look at last year, because all the negative stuff I see is that I suck and I'm not what I was last year,' said Duran. 'Everybody loves to talk about it, but at the same time it's like, I don't think these people realize how hard it is to be an All-Star Game MVP every single night. It's just not humanly possible. This game is a game of failure. You fail more than you succeed. [But] knowing myself, I always see all the negative stuff. 'I think this whole year has just kind of been like one big blur of not being able to be comfortable and trust myself. Sometimes I trust myself, and then two seconds later I don't. So I feel like this whole year has just been me fighting my own self.' Advertisement Baseball isn't a high jump. You don't set one personal standard, raise the bar, then diligently work toward the next one. A 162-game season is defined largely by the baseline standards that players can establish, rather than their peaks. And yet Duran always measures success based on his pinnacle. 'It's just how I am. I mean, honestly, when I won the All-Star Game MVP last year, I was happy about it, but at the same time, I was like, 'Well, crap. I'm going to have to put this pressure on myself to be this player every single night,' ' he said. 'As dumb as it sounds, I was like, 'Oh, [expletive].' I'm just putting more pressure on my own self, like, 'I've done this. Now I expect myself to do this every night.' ' Related : But recently, Duran has been a bit more forgiving of his performance, a development with two sources. First, he looks like he's turned a corner. His line sat at .252/.310/.398 on June 28. But in Duran is less concerned about those numbers than the approach that underlies them. He's cut his chase rate from 33 percent to 24 percent during his recent run — and even sees a positive in the fact that 25 percent of his strikeouts have been called during this run, a contrast to the beginning of the season in which just 11 percent of his strikeouts had been looking. Advertisement Why is that meaningful? 'It means I'm controlling the zone better,' said Duran. 'Pitchers are way too good these days to chase them around the entire plate. So, if I'm trying to get them in a specific area and they just happen to paint something that's not in the area that I'm looking, you've got to tip your cap. 'Nobody wants to strike out, but I'm trying to keep the positive mind-set, even after a strikeout. It was, 'OK, he made a great pitch away. I wasn't looking away. I was still staying in my area. I was staying [true] to where I thought I could do damage and get an actual competitive pitch to hit.' ' The other reason why Duran is more at ease than he'd been for much of the season: the changing dynamics of the Red Sox. Duran has found joy in the arrivals of Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer. He's been happy to share his experiences about finding his footing in the big leagues with the rookies, but in many ways, Duran has taken reassurance from players who are 21 (Anthony) and 22 (Mayer). 'The young guys are just like, 'I'm just going to go out there and just do me and have fun.' It's kind of cool. I see the younger guys, and I'm like, 'Shoot, maybe I should think about it like that,' ' said Duran. 'They're just two of the best people I've ever met, and I can't imagine not having them on my team, or just being able to talk to them every day.' Related : Advertisement There is at least the hint of a question about whether that opportunity will remain in place. Earlier this month, the outfield/DH crowd of Duran, Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, Even so, until Thursday's trade deadline passes, there will at least be curiosity about whether Duran might move. But with the Sox having pushed into wild-card position, Duran does not share it. 'Honestly, that's probably one of the things I actually don't stress about,' he said. 'I have no control over it. If it happens, it happens … It's just all rumors for now, so I'm just going to keep having fun with my boys.' Alex Speier can be reached at
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Kyle Schwarber's 1,000th hit is his 319th home run, topping Mark McGwire for most in reaching the milestone
NEW YORK — Kyle Schwarber topped Mark McGwire for most home runs among a player's first 1,000 hits, hitting long ball No. 319. 'I don't know if that's a good thing or not,' the Philadelphia Phillies slugger said. Ten days after lifting the National League to victory in the first All-Star Game swing-off, Schwarber keeps going deep. He hit a pair of two-run home runs in a 12-5 victory over the New York Yankees on Friday night. The first drive, his milestone hit, started the comeback from a 2-0 deficit. He even got the ball back after it was grabbed by a Phillies fan attending with his friends in Yankee Stadium's right-center field seats. 'I saw it on the video and then I see the dude tugging. I'm like: 'Oh, they all got Philly stuff on.' That was cool.' Schwarber said. He met the trio after the game, gave an autographed ball to each and exchanged hugs. When he went to get a third ball to autograph, one of the three said he just wanted the potential free agent to re-sign with the Phillies. 'You show up to the field every single day trying to get a win at the end of the day and I think our fans kind of latch on to that,' Schwarber said. 'It's been fantastic these last 3½ years, four years now, the support that we get from our fans and it means a lot to me that you know that they attach theirselves on our team.' Schwarber tied it at 2 in the fifth against Will Warren when he hit a 413-foot drive on a first-pitch fastball. After J.T. Realmuto's three-run home run off Luke Weaver built a 6-3 lead in a four-run seventh, and the Yankees closed within a run in the bottom half, Schwarber sent an Ian Hamilton fastball 380 feet into the right-field seats. Schwarber reached 1,000 hits with eight more home runs than McGwire. Schwarber has 36 homers this year, three shy of major-league leader Cal Raleigh, and six in seven games since he was voted All-Star MVP. He has 33 multihomer games. Kyle Schwarber's 10 greatest hits with the Chicago Cubs, including his 'Schwarbomb' in the 2015 NLDS and the single that led to the go-ahead run in the 2016 World Series'I don't know where we'd be without him,' Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. 'Comes up with big hit after big hit after big hit. It's just — it's amazing.' Schwarber is 32 and eligible for free agency this fall after completing a four-year, $79 million contract. He homered on all three of his swings in the All-Star Game tiebreaker, and when the second half began, Phillies managing partner John Middleton proclaimed: 'We love him. We want to keep him.' 'He's been an incredible force all season long,' Realmuto said. 'What he's meant to his team, his offense, it's hard to put in words.' A World Series champion for the 2016 Chicago Cubs, Schwarber has reached 35 home runs in all four seasons with the Phillies. He's batting .255 with 82 RBIs and a .960 OPS. He also has almost as many home runs as singles (46). Schwarber had not been aware he topped McGwire for most home runs among 1,000 hits. 'I had no clue. I even know it was my 1,000th, to be honest with you,' he said.
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Schwarber's 1,000th hit is 319th homer, topping McGwire for most to the mark
NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Schwarber topped Mark McGwire for most home runs among a player's first 1,000 hits, hitting long ball No. 319. 'I don't know if that's a good thing or not,' the Philadelphia Phillies slugger said. Ten days after lifting the National League to victory in the first All-Star Game swing-off, Schwarber keeps going deep. He hit a pair of two-run homers in a 12-5 victory over the New York Yankees on Friday night. The first drive, his milestone hit, started the comeback from a 2-0 deficit. He even got the ball back after it was grabbed by a Phillies fan attending with his friends in Yankee Stadium's right-center field seats. 'I saw it on the video and then I see the dude tugging. I'm like: `Oh, they all got Philly stuff on.' That was cool." Schwarber said. He met the trio after the game, gave an autographed ball to each and exchanged hugs. When he went to get a third ball to autograph, one of the three said he just wanted the potential free agent to re-sign with the Phillies. 'You show up to the field every single day trying to get a win at the end of the day and I think our fans kind of latch on to that, right?' Schwarber said. 'It's been fantastic these last 3 1/2 years, four years now, the support that we get from our fans and it means a lot to me that you know that they attach theirselves on our team.' Schwarber tied it at 2 in the fifth against Will Warren when he hit a 413-foot drive on a first-pitch fastball. After J.T. Realmuto's three-run homer off Luke Weaver built a 6-3 lead in a four-run seventh and the Yankees closed within a run in the bottom half, Schwarber sent an Ian Hamilton fastball 380 feet into the right-field seats. Schwarber reached 1,000 hits with eight more homers than McGwire. Schwarber has 36 homers this year, three shy of major league leader Cal Raleigh, and six homers in seven games since he was voted All-Star MVP. He has 33 multi-homer games. 'I don't know where we'd be without him,' Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. 'Comes up with big hit after big hit after big hit. It's just — it's amazing.' Schwarber is 32 and eligible for free agency this fall after completing a $79 million, four-year contract. He homered on all three of his swings in the All-Star Game tiebreaker, and when the second half began Phillies managing partner John Middleton proclaimed: 'We love him. We want to keep him." 'He's been an incredible force all season long,' Realmuto said. 'What he's meant to his team, his offense, it's hard to put in words.' A World Series champion for the 2016 Chicago Cubs, Schwarber has reached 35 homers in all four seasons with the Phillies. He's batting .255 with 82 RBIs and a .960 OPS. He also has almost as many home runs as singles (46). 'I had no clue. I even know it was my 1,000th, to be honest with you,' he said. ___
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Schwarber's 1,000th hit is 319th homer, topping McGwire for most to the mark
NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Schwarber topped Mark McGwire for most home runs among a player's first 1,000 hits, hitting long ball No. 319. 'I don't know if that's a good thing or not,' the Philadelphia Phillies slugger said. Ten days after lifting the National League to victory in the first All-Star Game swing-off, Schwarber keeps going deep. He hit a pair of two-run homers in a 12-5 victory over the New York Yankees on Friday night. The first drive, his milestone hit, started the comeback from a 2-0 deficit. He even got the ball back after it was grabbed by a Phillies fan attending with his friends in Yankee Stadium's right-center field seats. 'I saw it on the video and then I see the dude tugging. I'm like: `Oh, they all got Philly stuff on.' That was cool.' Schwarber said. He met the trio after the game, gave an autographed ball to each and exchanged hugs. When he went to get a third ball to autograph, one of the three said he just wanted the potential free agent to re-sign with the Phillies. 'You show up to the field every single day trying to get a win at the end of the day and I think our fans kind of latch on to that, right?' Schwarber said. 'It's been fantastic these last 3 1/2 years, four years now, the support that we get from our fans and it means a lot to me that you know that they attach theirselves on our team.' Schwarber tied it at 2 in the fifth against Will Warren when he hit a 413-foot drive on a first-pitch fastball. After J.T. Realmuto's three-run homer off Luke Weaver built a 6-3 lead in a four-run seventh and the Yankees closed within a run in the bottom half, Schwarber sent an Ian Hamilton fastball 380 feet into the right-field seats. Schwarber reached 1,000 hits with eight more homers than McGwire. Schwarber has 36 homers this year, three shy of major league leader Cal Raleigh, and six homers in seven games since he was voted All-Star MVP. He has 33 multi-homer games. 'I don't know where we'd be without him,' Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. 'Comes up with big hit after big hit after big hit. It's just — it's amazing.' Schwarber is 32 and eligible for free agency this fall after completing a $79 million, four-year contract. He homered on all three of his swings in the All-Star Game tiebreaker, and when the second half began Phillies managing partner John Middleton proclaimed: 'We love him. We want to keep him.' 'He's been an incredible force all season long,' Realmuto said. 'What he's meant to his team, his offense, it's hard to put in words.' A World Series champion for the 2016 Chicago Cubs, Schwarber has reached 35 homers in all four seasons with the Phillies. He's batting .255 with 82 RBIs and a .960 OPS. He also has almost as many home runs as singles (46). Schwarber had not been aware he topped McGwire for most homers among 1,000 hits. 'I had no clue. I even know it was my 1,000th, to be honest with you,' he said. ___ AP MLB:
Fox Sports
4 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Schwarber's 1,000th hit is 319th homer, topping McGwire for most to the mark
Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Schwarber topped Mark McGwire for most home runs among a player's first 1,000 hits, hitting long ball No. 319. 'I don't know if that's a good thing or not,' the Philadelphia Phillies slugger said. Ten days after lifting the National League to victory in the first All-Star Game swing-off, Schwarber keeps going deep. He hit a pair of two-run homers in a 12-5 victory over the New York Yankees on Friday night. The first drive, his milestone hit, started the comeback from a 2-0 deficit. He even got the ball back after it was grabbed by a Phillies fan attending with his friends in Yankee Stadium's right-center field seats. 'I saw it on the video and then I see the dude tugging. I'm like: `Oh, they all got Philly stuff on.' That was cool." Schwarber said. He met the trio after the game, gave an autographed ball to each and exchanged hugs. When he went to get a third ball to autograph, one of the three said he just wanted the potential free agent to re-sign with the Phillies. 'You show up to the field every single day trying to get a win at the end of the day and I think our fans kind of latch on to that, right?' Schwarber said. 'It's been fantastic these last 3 1/2 years, four years now, the support that we get from our fans and it means a lot to me that you know that they attach theirselves on our team.' Schwarber tied it at 2 in the fifth against Will Warren when he hit a 413-foot drive on a first-pitch fastball. After J.T. Realmuto's three-run homer off Luke Weaver built a 6-3 lead in a four-run seventh and the Yankees closed within a run in the bottom half, Schwarber sent an Ian Hamilton fastball 380 feet into the right-field seats. Schwarber reached 1,000 hits with eight more homers than McGwire. Schwarber has 36 homers this year, three shy of major league leader Cal Raleigh, and six homers in seven games since he was voted All-Star MVP. He has 33 multi-homer games. 'I don't know where we'd be without him,' Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. 'Comes up with big hit after big hit after big hit. It's just — it's amazing.' Schwarber is 32 and eligible for free agency this fall after completing a $79 million, four-year contract. He homered on all three of his swings in the All-Star Game tiebreaker, and when the second half began Phillies managing partner John Middleton proclaimed: 'We love him. We want to keep him." 'He's been an incredible force all season long,' Realmuto said. 'What he's meant to his team, his offense, it's hard to put in words.' A World Series champion for the 2016 Chicago Cubs, Schwarber has reached 35 homers in all four seasons with the Phillies. He's batting .255 with 82 RBIs and a .960 OPS. He also has almost as many home runs as singles (46). Schwarber had not been aware he topped McGwire for most homers among 1,000 hits. 'I had no clue. I even know it was my 1,000th, to be honest with you,' he said. ___ AP MLB: recommended Item 1 of 2
