Prince Fielder Motivated After Two Tough Seasons

To say last two seasons has not gone well for Prince Fielder is an understatement.

He knows it, and he has let it consumed him. For the money he is making, he knows he has not earned it. It shows he is a proud individual that knows he is better than what he has showed.

His time with the Detroit Tigers did not end well after he let the pressure of winning a championship get to him, so he was traded to the Texas Rangers last offseason. His first season with the Rangers was cut short after neck surgery limited him to 42 games last season.

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Fielder is seeking redemption after two tough seasons. He wants to get back to being the feared slugger he was. He wants to show his baseball days are not over as he is getting older. Most importantly, he wants to get back to being the guy that leads his team to victories. He feels like he owes the Rangers for a terrible season. He feels he owes it to himself to get back to being a star.

He was one of the first few players to show up to camp early. That’s how eager he is to atone for last season. He knows he has to participate in so many workouts to get into a hitting groove. He wants to do all he can be to be sharp when the season starts.

It will not be easy for him. Missing a season can take so much out of him. He has to get back to proper swinging habits. He has to be disciplined. He can’t try to hit home runs when he is at the plate. He can’t start doing too much.

Problem with Fielder is it’s all or nothing with him. He is not a guy that will use the field to get hits. He either strikes out or hit home runs. He’s going to have to learn to hit the other side of the field along with beating the shift. It’s an adjustment he has to make. His bat speed may not be good enough to hit 30 or 36 home runs for a year. In 42 games last year, he only had three homers and 42 RBIs, so maybe that’s a sign he’s trending downward.

Who knows how much Fielder has left? It’s always going to be a question until he proves otherwise. Any time an athlete is coming off a surgery like he has, it’s going to be tough for him to play at a high level.

He is still at the prime age of his career, so he has that going for him.

There’s no question Fielder will be a player the Texas Rangers and their fans are going to watch with interest this spring training. They are hoping he still has good baseball in him. They know if he can be healthy and productive, the Rangers lineup could be tough to face. That would mean it would be hard for pitchers to walk Adrian Beltre with their first baseman hitting behind him.

The Rangers are banking on him to have more good performances in him. Not only are they depending on him to win games, but they need to justify paying his salary for the next five years with his contract expiring in 2020. They took a risk in inheriting his big contract in a trade with the idea he could hit 35 home runs in a bandbox ballpark.

There’s pressure for Prince Fielder to perform. No one is going to have sympathy for him if he struggles. Not when he is being paid well by the Rangers. He knows that.

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This is why he has that burning desire to succeed. He does not want to deal with the stigma of being a washed up player collecting his millions. Despite what jilted fans think, athletes care about their craft. They want to perform.

It hurt Fielder that Tigers fans thought he did not care in the postseason after he said he was relieved it’s over when the Tigers were eliminated by the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS two years ago. He was going through a tough season with martial problems, and it affected his ability to concentrate. He struggled to put up power numbers in the postseason. He tried his best. He did not get it done, and he felt he put the Tigers down after they signed him.

He does not want to have that same feeling again with the Rangers. He knows Rangers fans have questions about how much he has left.

That’s why he worked hard all offseason to be in the best shape of his life and be ready to go. He’s approaching this with a sense of urgency. He knows he can’t take anything for granted anymore. He can’t get by with his talent anymore.

This is a challenge for him, and he’s ready for it.

He has been looking forward to this all offseason.

This season is about redemption for him.

He knows this could be a make or break season for him.

Contact or Follow Leslie Monteiro: @Nolanwriting201

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