Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Took On a New Hobby This Year

Is there anything Mookie Betts can’t do?

Betts has pretty much achieved it all on the baseball field, winning an MVP award, a batting title, three World Series rings, six Gold Gloves, and six Silver Sluggers. However, the Dodgers star’s resume is stacked.

Beyond baseball, Betts is also an impressive bowler, having competed in the PBA U.S. Open last year and consistently bowling perfect 300 games.

But, a new hobby caught his attention this year when he is away from the baseball field.

“Pickleball, that’s my jam,” a mic’d-up Betts said earlier this year. “I love playing pickleball.”

Pickleball, a paddle sport blending elements of tennis and badminton, has surged in popularity in recent years. According to a 2022 report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, it was named the fastest-growing sport for the second consecutive year, with participation increasing by 39.3 percent over the previous two years and more than 4.8 million people playing the game.

Betts is one of those people and is always ready for a challenge.

“I just go to random parks and just play random people,” Betts said. “I love the hang. You get to talk to people and get to meet people. A lot of people have fire in them, especially in pickleball. They get really mad, which I love.”

Pickleball attracted Betts because there is no limit to who can play.

“The cool thing is you can be anywhere from 10 to 80 and play pickleball,” Betts said. “I’ve got a lot of friends – random 70- and 80-year-old people I go hang out with, especially in Spring Training. I have a crew. I don’t know any of ’em, I don’t know any of their names, but I just go hang out with them. It’s fun.”

Betts doesn’t mind if people recognize him. He just wants to play and have some fun.

“Yeah but I don’t care,” he said on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast. “It helps because people want to play. I want to play, and they want to play with me. They’re usually pretty chill. They might take a picture or something afterward but I don’t care. I just like going amongst people. … When I’m out there with these random people, like, I’m having a conversation with them, talking to them — especially in between games, getting to know who they are. How often do they come out here?”

Betts says he is “probably a five” and would love to play in some tournaments in the future.

Photo Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

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