{"id":936061,"date":"2026-07-15T07:04:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T07:04:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/936061\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T07:04:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T07:04:28","slug":"commentary-you-never-know-when-its-your-last-mike-trout-savors-every-moment-of-this-all-star-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/936061\/","title":{"rendered":"Commentary: ‘You never know when it\u2019s your last.’ Mike Trout savors every moment of this All-Star Game"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

PHILADELPHIA\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Pete Crow-Armstrong<\/a> was 9 years old, maybe 10. He can\u2019t remember for sure. But he clearly remembers the scene: a journey from his San Fernando Valley home to Angel Stadium, for a game featuring Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees.<\/p>\n

Jeter wasn\u2019t an outfielder, though. Crow-Armstrong sat in right-center field, with a great view of an Angels\u2019 phenom.<\/p>\n

\u201cI absolutely followed Mike Trout<\/a>,\u201d Crow-Armstrong said. \u201cI would have followed him if he were in freaking Seattle.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was \u2014 he still is \u2014 the only one to ever really do what I\u2019ve ever seen him do in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

A decade and a half later, in an All-Star Game that was short on drama and long on tributes to Trout, the hometown hero and future Hall of Famer, Crow-Armstrong shared center field with Trout.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat,\u201d the Chicago Cubs\u2019 star said, \u201cis a cool nugget I\u2019ll always keep with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a two-run single in the first inning from All-Star Game MVP and former Dodger Cody Bellinger giving the American League the only runs it would need, the AL shut out the National League on Tuesday, 4-0<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The three Dodgers in the NL starting lineup \u2014 Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy and Andy Pages \u2014 went hitless.<\/p>\n

\"Freddie <\/p>\n

Freddie Freeman and Mike Trout embrace during the fourth inning.<\/p>\n

(Al Bello \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Justin Wrobleski, the lone Dodgers pitcher, gave up a home run to former Dodger Miguel Vargas but pitched two innings and struck out five, the most strikeouts in an All-Star Game since Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez struck out five in 1999 \u2014 and, before that, Fernando Valenzuela did it in 1986.<\/p>\n

Trout went hitless in three at-bats. After he grounded out in his final at-bat, Freeman enveloped him in an impromptu bear hug.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love Freddie,\u201d Trout said.<\/p>\n

There was a fireworks show after the fourth inning, with kids riding bicycles onto the field a la \u201cThe Sandlot.\u201d Trout offered swing tips to one of the kids. Freeman played catch with another.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the cooler moments I\u2019ve ever been a part of on the baseball field,\u201d Freeman said. \u201cIt makes you feel like a kid again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Mike <\/p>\n

Mike Trout signs autographs before the home run derby Monday.<\/p>\n

(Matt Rourke \/ AP)<\/p>\n

Before the game, Freeman addressed his fellow NL All-Stars, followed by Bryce Harper and Chris Sale. Freeman channeled his inner Ferris Bueller, reminding his younger peers to stop and appreciate every moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going fast,\u201d Freeman said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot going on. Make sure you take a step back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trout savored every moment with friends and family, including his two sons, in the festivities. In an interview with MLB Network, his 2-year-old scampered off the stage. His 5-year-old, asked if he would be a better player than his dad, said yes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s special to be able to sit back and remember the special experiences when you were a kid,\u201d Trout said. \u201cIt\u2019s a full circle. Just trying to enjoy every minute of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He got a nice ovation from the Philadelphia crowd, which he knew better than to take for granted. The crowd engaged in lively and targeted booing: mascots Mr. and Mrs. Met; the guy who beat the Phillies\u2019 Kyle Schwarber in the home run derby on Monday; a guy who played for the Houston Astros when they beat the Phillies in the World Series four years ago; anyone playing for the Dodgers or any of the Phillies\u2019 NL East rivals.<\/p>\n

Juan Soto, especially. But not Trout.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means a lot,\u201d Trout said. \u201cI know how Phillies fans are when an opposing player comes in here, and it\u2019s usually boos.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he spoke with the media, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays walked by.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love you,\u201d Caminero said.<\/p>\n

\"Mike <\/p>\n

Mike Trout bats in the first inning Tuesday.<\/p>\n

(Emilee Chinn \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Trout had just saluted a fellow All-Star, Detroit Tigers rookie shortstop Kevin McGonigle, who like Trout grew up in the area, rooting for the Phillies. McGonigle was 6 when Trout made his major league debut.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way he plays the game, it\u2019s like a young Trout out there, just with how hard he plays,\u201d Trout said.<\/p>\n

Trout turns 35 next month, far closer to the end of his career than the beginning. Justin Verlander is retiring at the end of the season, and Freeman said he hoped Trout\u2019s accomplishments would not be lost amid the Verlander accolades at the All-Star Game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know Justin\u2019s been getting his flowers the last couple days, and rightfully so,\u201d Freeman said. \u201cMike deserves it until he retires, because he\u2019s one of the best players of all time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Verlander was all too happy to share the legacy of Trout in the AL clubhouse, and not just for the benefit of the twentysomethings in the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe took the baseball world by storm,\u201d Verlander said, \u201cone of those generational talents that does everything \u2014 great outfielder, great baserunner, all the pop you would want. He was a complete player and generational talent for a reason.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always loved watching him play. I remember sitting there watching him hit a triple, and \u2014 I forget the teammate, but he was literally hitting me on the leg, like, watch him run, watch him run. He was, like, floating. He\u2019s a once-in-a-generation guy for a reason.\u201d<\/p>\n

By his standards, Trout was unusually reflective after the game. He was the dominant player of the previous decade, but before Tuesday he had not taken an All-Star at-bat in this decade.<\/p>\n

He grew up here, watching Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins play for the Phillies. Now he has youngsters like Crow-Amstrong and McGonigle telling him they grew up watching him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes you feel like you\u2019ve done something,\u201d Trout said. \u201cFor me, since day one, I\u2019ve always played this game how I saw a lot of guys when I was young, watching Utley and JRo and Jeter. Play the game right. Play the game hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou never know when it\u2019s your last.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PHILADELPHIA\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Pete Crow-Armstrong was 9 years old, maybe 10. He can\u2019t remember for sure. But he clearly remembers the…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":936062,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[41],"tags":[12615,47071,54304,171421,23590,2044,53754,18996,7088,2626,1266,5349,1277,20414,62,780,67,132,68,377160],"class_list":["post-936061","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-all-star-game","tag-derek-jeter","tag-freeman","tag-future-hall","tag-guy","tag-justin-verlander","tag-kevin-mcgonigle","tag-kid","tag-lot","tag-mike-trout","tag-mlb","tag-moment","tag-pete-crow-armstrong","tag-phillies","tag-sports","tag-trout","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us","tag-verlander-accolade"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116922724421384957","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/936061","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=936061"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/936061\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/936062"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=936061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=936061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=936061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}