Mike Trout is known for many things, most notably for being one of the best players in all of baseball and the face of the franchise for the Los Angeles Angels.
He’s also well-known for being one of the best guys in the league, somebody who takes time out of his day to sign autographs and take selfies with fans, especially younger fans.
But lately, he’s been catching some flak for a supposed video of him not signing autographs for children.
We obviously don’t know if this is true or not, but Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, who once covered the Angels for MLB.com. shared a reminder about how Trout is truly one of the nicest people in all of baseball.
Feel like this needs to be said today: Mike Trout takes more time to sign for kids and pose for selfies with them than practically any baseball player I’ve covered. Most of those interactions are not captured on video, or at least they’re not shared. But they happen constantly.
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) September 27, 2022
Why Trout Doesn’t Deserve This
This could all be a bogus story to begin with.
You’ll never see Trout brush a fan off when they ask for an autograph or photo.
Gonzalez also reminded fans of what we don’t see on camera.
There are plenty of fans who love Trout and have had great experiences with him.
If the video is true, it’s always possible he could have just been in a hurry to get somewhere.
He’s a professional athlete after all.
You can’t expect a professional athlete, let alone Trout to be available 24/7.
But more often than not, you’ll see Trout take time out of his day to make fans happy.
He’s a great ambassador for the sport and has put together a Hall-of-Fame worthy career.
But his efforts off the field should not be swept under the rug just because of one video.
And if it’s true, then perhaps Trout just made a mistake.
Being in the public eye certainly takes its toll, however.