PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — After firing the ball across the diamond for the final out of a 4-2 win over Venezuela, United States third baseman Todd Frazier found closer David Robertson near the mound and wrapped him in a hug. Soon, the entire team huddled on the infield at Clover Park, bouncing up and down, yelling and spraying alcohol as if they had won a championship. Although Olympic baseball may not be as much of a priority in the United States as in other parts of the world, Frazier said that earning a spot in the Summer Games in Tokyo was one of the best moments of his baseball career, which includes 11 years in the major leagues and two All-Star selections. “I wish everybody could understand,” Frazier said, “when you get an opportunity to play for the United States of America — or whatever country you’re with — you got to take that opportunity and run with it because you’re going to look back on your career and say, ‘You know what? That’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had to playing baseball.’ And it really is.”

Source: New York Times June 06, 2021 05:03 UTC