MLB needs some players who can "serve as an example of how great the sport is and how star players are exciting to watch and follow and to be held up as role models," and Red Sox RF Mookie Betts is a "solid person with great values," according to Nick Cafardo of the BOSTON GLOBE. He "will never embarrass himself, his team, or his city," and he has "enormous talent." MLB has "struggled in recent years to fill rosters with more African-American players, and Betts could inspire young African-Americans to pursue baseball as a primary sport instead of basketball or football, a more hazardous game." Betts has already seen a "spike in endorsement opportunities since last season." MLB also has "asked him to do promotions," and he "shot one Sunday at JetBlue Park." Betts is not a "controversial figure and he’ll never say the wrong thing." He is "not going to be that opinionated player who garners attention by being loud." He is "very quiet, in fact," but without question, he is "classy in the way" Derek Jeter was. Cafardo lists 10 others candidates who could be the "face of baseball," including Cubs 3B Kris Bryant, Angels CF Mike Trout and Nationals RF Bryce Harper (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/20). Betts finished second in AL MVP voting last year to Trout, and one great year does "not a face of baseball make, but if Betts continues to perform, baseball could do a lot worse than to market this personable, exciting young player to the country." Cafardo: "The face of Major League Baseball? Why not?" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/19).
