The Players’ Tribune engagement report

Best tweets

• Aug 4, 202664x their median

  Pete Crow-Armstrong loves playing for the @Cubs. His dad loves it, too: “Growing up in L.A., my dad gave me a couple of rules. 1) I couldn’t root for the Dodgers. 2) I couldn’t root for the Cardinals. He’s from Naperville, just outside Chicago. He didn’t force me to be a Cubs fan, but let’s just say it was heavily encouraged. When I was a kid, maybe seven or eight, I’d bust open my parents’ door first thing in the morning and start jumping on the bed, Let’s go throw the ball!! Dad!!! Get UP!! Let’s go!!! They’d stick me in front of the TV while they got their day started. And I’d watch the same thing almost every morning: Kerry Wood’s 20-strikeout game. Dad must have recorded a re-run of it or something, I don’t know. But it was always on the TV, ready to be replayed whenever I wanted. I’ve got something to admit though, I was a bit of a s*** growing up. Dad is a big Bears guy, and like I said, I was just this little rascal. So my guys were Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews. I’m sorry about that. I am. It’s not that I didn’t love Matt Forte or Brian Urlacher or Peanut Tillman — I just loved giving my dad a hard time. So I’d run around the house laughing every time Rodgers dropped a dime at Soldier Field. But baseball was different for me. I didn’t really have a team. I had my dudes. Soriano, Jeter, Damon, Derek Lee, Matt Kemp, Jim Edmonds. Cutch a bit later. My guys. And you remember that board game, All Star Baseball? I loved that s***. That was my jam.... My dad came to me with an ultimatum. He’s an absolute baseball nerd. Big analytics and prospects guy. I was only 11 or 12 and he sat me down and was like, Look, if you’re going to pick a team, now is your last chance to pick the Cubs. We’ve got a bunch of kids coming up soon. Báez, Contreras, Bryant, Russell, Almora. We’re going to be good. Now is your chance. I was like, Alright, alright. Fine. Go, Cubs, go.... My dad and I watched Game 7 together, just the two of us. Felt like it went on for three days. I remember him jumping up and down and crying. I don’t think I fully got it in the moment, you know? I was like, Dad, don’t be weird … stop crying. But I’m sure almost every Cub fan of a certain age had tears in their eyes that night. And now, a bit older, I get it. Five years later, I got traded for Javy. I can’t lie, when I first got the news, my heart was racing. I was injured, and I felt like I was a long way from making it to the show. When I heard I was being moved, I thought maybe I was being given up on. But then I saw it was for Javy and it calmed me down, in a way. It made me feel like the Cubs believed in me. That they really wanted me. It’s funny, man. I was on my way to lunch that day with my parents and my agent. And my dad played it cool. He was just talking about the opportunity and all that. That’s my mom rubbing off on him. She’s cool like that. But she talks about that day now and she’s like, When your dad found out … he had a MOMENT. His son was a Cub. Pretty cool.” https://t.co/a22ZCXkLSy

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• Aug 21, 202621x their median

  Gabriel Martinelli in 2022: “I thank God that I came to Arsenal in 2019. I really believe that things happen for a reason, and I’m so happy here. It’s funny to look back now, because I could so easily have ended up somewhere else. You see, I used to be part of this project at Manchester United. I was actually there for several trials. I even met many of the senior players. When I was 17, I had my last session there, so I went back to Brazil waiting for news. One day my dad called me into the living room. He had spoken to my agent and … well, United had said no. Not just, ’No, for this year.’ But, ‘No, we don’t want him. At all.’ To be honest, I was shaken. They had seen me play several times, and I was sure they were going to sign me, you know? A few weeks later I got another trial, at Barcelona. I spent 15 days there. They didn’t want me either. That was easier to accept, because it was just one trial. Still…. I remember sitting down with my dad and saying, ‘What are we going to do?’ You cannot really understand my story without knowing about my dad, João. He is as invested in my career as I am. When I was a toddler, he decided to take me to a trial at Corinthians when I turned six years old. Just to make sure you get this, that is one of the biggest clubs in Brazil. Who does that? He had wanted to turn pro but it hadn’t worked out, and now he wanted me to make it. Dads are supposed to read their sons bedtime stories. My dad kept saying, ‘When you turn six, I’ll take you….’ Hahaha. He didn’t even know whether I would be good enough. All we had done was play on a worn-down court near our home in Guarulhos, São Paulo. The goals didn’t even have nets. I’d jump on my dad’s back, we’d walk down to the court and when we got there I’d say, ‘Dad, let’s dribble! Let’s play!’ He would be like, ‘No, no. We’re gonna train your left foot.’ Left foot!!! I had not even turned six! He was serious. He was the goalie, he threw the ball out and I would shoot and shoot and shoot and shoot. Ten shots … a hundred shots … a thousand shots…. Man, I’d always complain about it. ‘Come on, Dad….” What a pain!’“ https://t.co/Fz3ktjvpNf @gabimartinelli | @Arsenal

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• Jul 21, 202616x their median

  Being embraced by the @Mets and New York City meant everything to David Wright. After being diagnosed with spinal stenosis, he officially retired from baseball, but not before one last goodbye: “September 29, 2018. I’ll never forget that day as long as I live. The last time I had the immense honor of putting on that number 5 New York Mets jersey and taking the field for the best fans in all of baseball. And, I gotta say, I’m not an overly emotional person. As my wife will attest, you’ll almost never see me cry. But that day? Wow. That whole experience threw me for a loop, and the tears…. They just kept flowing. It was like I couldn’t shut off the faucet. And it’s weird because you want to enjoy the moment as much as possible, but, at the same time, you know it’s the end. Like … this is it. So as happy as I was to be able to, I guess — and I’ll put quotation marks around this — ‘make it back,’ I knew getting back on the field in Queens that night also meant the end of my run. There was no coming back. As an athlete, you always want to go out on your own terms. You want to write your final chapter. Not many people get the opportunity to do that, though — and I guess you could say that I didn’t get the chance to do that either. But I did get that one final night to express how I felt about the city, and our fans, and about the organization. I couldn’t be more thankful for that opportunity.... Now, sure, selfishly … yeah, I wish with all my heart that I could’ve made it back and played a few more years and been able to show the fans the David Wright they remembered. I would’ve loved to have made that happen. But I gave it everything I had. I really, really did. It just wasn’t in the cards for me.” https://t.co/JQcMOVVJjs

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• Jul 23, 202616x their median

  Former @whitesox pitcher Mark Buehrle didn’t care about jinxing his perfect game back in 2009: “The two things that come up most often these days when I run into fans are that perfect game I threw eight years ago and the 2005 World Series. The one thing that not a ton of people know about that perfect game against the Rays in 2009 involves how everything went down off the field — in the dugout and back in the clubhouse. What I remember most is not being able to keep my mouth shut between innings during that one. I talked guys’ ears off. I basically did the opposite of everything you always hear about when no-hitters and perfect games are discussed. By the fifth, I was going up to anyone who would listen and just putting it out there. ‘Are you kidding me, right now? What’s happening out there? How do I have a perfect game going?’ I was just having fun and enjoying the moment. But no one knew what to make of it. Between the eighth and ninth, I randomly decided to head up into the clubhouse and see what was going on back there. The first guy I saw was @ajpierzynski12. I could tell he wasn’t looking to talk to me. But I don’t believe in jinxes, so I was having none of it. I sat right down next to him. Are you kidding me, dude? There’s no way I have a perfect game right now. Is this for real?’ He just shook his head and laughed. I kept going. ‘Three outs from a perfect game? This is insane? Only three more outs?’ A.J. could tell I wasn’t going to stop until he said something to me. ‘Quit talking about it, man,’ he finally said. ‘Just go out there and finish it up.’ So, you know, that’s what I did. And then, less than an hour later, I was talking on the phone with Obama. The president joked around with me some, and I remember laughing a bit and just grinning from ear to ear. But I didn’t really talk much. Basically I was just telling myself: Don’t say anything stupid, Mark. Please, dude, don’t be dumb. Don’t mess this up.” https://t.co/lWMndQJyjY

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• Aug 10, 202614x their median

  “I remember looking down into the abyss and just thinking.... Mamá, I don’t want to be here without you.” @PSG_inside star Willian Pacho is using this moment to tell his story of grief, mental health and redemption. https://t.co/vpNVwnKj96

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• Aug 23, 202614x their median

  On Kobe Bryant’s birthday, we remember @alleniverson’s letter to the Black Mamba: “Kobe Bean Bryant…. My guy. The first time I saw you going up against Black Jesus, when you were 18 years old, I knew you were a killer. That’s when I realized you were going to be a legend in this game. You were going hard at Mike that night. No fear whatsoever. I mean, I knew from passing you in traffic over the years that you were a dog. But when I saw you going at Black Jesus like that? That’s when I knew you were a kindred spirit. We might have grown up in different circumstances, but when I saw you on the court, and how hard you were going, I knew we were raised with the same mentality. I wasn’t tall — but in my mind, I was going to be a giant out there every single night. You were 6′ 6″, and could’ve scored in your sleep. But that wasn’t enough. You were trying to be the best that ever did it. Everybody says they want to be that. But not everybody is willing to sacrifice what it really takes to do it. Remember when I came out to L.A. for the first time our rookie year? You picked me up at the hotel and we went out for some food, and you asked me what I was getting up to later. I said I was going to the club. I mean, we in L.A.! I’m going to the club, Kobe. Come on, man. And what did you say? ‘I’m going back to the gym.’ You’re probably the only dude in the history of the game where the mystique wasn’t exaggerated. The Mamba was no myth, man. It didn’t even do you justice. One, two, three in the morning, we knew where you were. Me and you, every single time we stepped on that floor, we were going to war. But it wasn’t an animosity thing. There was never any beef. It was like heavyweight fighters beating the hell out of one another. And then at the bell, it’s nothing but love and respect. Greatness needs company, and we needed each other. Mike needed Prince like Prince needed Mike. Tyson needed Holyfield like Holyfield needed Tyson. Everybody needs that person to say, Oh, you’re the sh*t, huh? Well I’m the sh*t, too.” https://t.co/YQWwC421wn

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• Aug 23, 202612x their median

  Five years ago, Jimmy Hayes passed away. Kevin Hayes honored his brother in a 2023 tribute: “If anyone could ever pull off immortality, it’s my brother, Jimmy. I say my brother, but he was more like my best friend. And if I’m being really honest (because I know he’s up there somewhere keeping me in check) Jimmy was more like my hero. He was three years older than me, and he was — Can I curse here? Earmuffs, kids — he was just the f****** best. I don’t know how else to say it. I’ve never seen a kid who just wanted everybody else to be alright, all the time. You could be the biggest nerd in the world (me, for example) and Jimmy would go out of his way to talk to you and make you feel part of the group. And we’re talking about a kid growing up in blue-collar Boston, by the way. A kid who was Top 10 in the youth hockey rankings every year. Recruited for Team USA. Local celebrity. He had every right to be a cocky little sh*t, and he was just … the man. He was like the Dorchester Batman. If you were getting picked on, or were sitting at lunch alone, Jimmy would somehow get the Bat-Signal and he’d come swooping in to say, ‘Hey, what’s up, bud? Dude, those shoes are sick. You like hockey? You should come play wiffle ball with us later.’ Jimmy just had this innate ability to make you feel cool. I followed him basically everywhere. When I was in the 7th grade, I followed in his footsteps to this private school that was a 45-minute drive from our house. He was already living down there in the high school dorms, but I was commuting in every morning, and let’s just say it was a bit of a culture shock at first. Seventh grade is nuts no matter where you are, but I’m a blue-collar city kid coming to this place where you gotta wear a polo and khakis and kids are talking about boating on Martha’s Vineyard or whatever. The first day before lunch, I was about to throw up. You’re just praying that somebody will let you sit with them. I’ll never forget, as soon as we get into the cafeteria, Jimmy comes walking through the doors. And he’s like the mayor of the school by this point. He pretends like he has to ask one of the teachers something, but then he comes over to everybody like, ‘Hey, you guys know my brother Kevin? He’s the man, dude. [I was not the man]. He’s got so many stories. [I had no stories].’ He broke the ice for me, and immediately everybody was like: Hey, if Jimmy Hayes says you’re cool, then you’re cool. For that whole first month, he kept randomly popping up everywhere I was — at lunch, in the hallway, at my locker — just like: Oh hey, bud, what are you doing here? I was just walking by. He was just making sure that I was O.K. It’s what he did best.” https://t.co/PFEE9ZBmOd

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• Aug 18, 202612x their median

  Alex Bregman: “Growing up in New Mexico, I have these vivid memories of watching tons of Cubs games on WGN. When I was little, Sosa and McGwire were going back and forth in the home run race, and that was must-see TV for me. Then, when I was in college at @LSUbaseball, at one point I was playing for Team USA, and our squad got the opportunity to head out to Wrigley one afternoon and take BP. It felt like I was in some movie. I knew the history of that place. I knew all about flying the W, and ‘Go, Cubs, Go,’ and all the legends who have played on that diamond. It was like I was floating out there. Playing at Wrigley as a major leaguer has only heightened my love for that place. And as much as the field itself is amazing, what has actually stood out most has been the vibe all around the stadium. Wrigleyville. That feeling of everyone getting hyped for a game, the smell of food being grilled, the sounds of people laughing, kids having fun. And those fans … I could absolutely tell from my very first game there just how passionate they are. For me, that passion results in something that I believe to be extremely positive and important: a healthy pressure. Every game matters to fans like that, whether it’s the first game of the season, or the 142nd game in August, or the last game of the World Series. So there’s a healthy pressure there, and it keeps you going, keeps you giving your all, even when you may be dead tired or a little dinged up. With fans like that, you power through. You want to give all you have, no matter what. And this year’s team, I mean … we’re absolutely ready to bring a ton of joy to Cubs fans. Offensively, up and down our lineup, one through nine is a tough at-bat. Every single guy can throw a great at-bat at you. And when a team like that puts together quality at-bat after quality at-bat, it really wears a pitcher down. Then, on the defensive side of the ball, I think we’ve got one of the best defensive groups, if not the best group, in all of baseball. And that’s the kind of gritty, baseball player-y, hard-nosed group that you want to be a part of. I can’t wait to add to that mix. And make no mistake about it: I’m here to win. I’ve been around winning my whole career, from my freshman year of high school all the way up through this year. Pretty much every team I’ve ever been on has been fortunate enough to play in the postseason. So I know what a winning atmosphere looks like. When you get down to it, it’s a combination of every player in the clubhouse trying to be the best player on the team … but then at the same time also caring about their teammates, and about their success, about helping their teammates, communicating, holding each other accountable. I’m convinced that when you have a team that’s rooting for each other, and helping each other, and pushing each other, it creates an atmosphere that makes everyone better.” https://t.co/kWmK7ZUTRR @ABREG_1 | @Cubs

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• Aug 11, 20268.4x their median

  Willian Pacho: “When you hear @PSG_inside, you don’t even think. You get out your phone and you search for flights. I’ll fly Ryanair. When is the next one? Vamos. Luís Campos invited me to a secret dinner in Madrid, and it was in this underground restaurant, like in the movies. Within five minutes, he said, ‘Hold on, someone wants to speak to you.’ He put Luis Enrique on FaceTime. It was so cool. Luis Enrique, he has a way about him. An aura, I guess. To me, he is the key to everything that I have achieved at PSG. I say that as a man, and not as a footballer. He speaks very little, but when he speaks, you feel that he understands you as a person. For me, after everything that I had been through, he’s exactly the kind of manager that I needed. He told me when he brought me in, ‘Go at your own pace. Don’t feel like you need to prove anything to anyone just because we bought you. You still have to develop.’ In giving me time, it took the pressure off. In giving me time, I exploded. I never could have expected to become a starter so quickly. I never could have expected two Champions League titles in two seasons. I never could have expected the love that I received from the fans. It went from, ‘51? Who is 51?’ To ‘PACHO! PACHO! PACHO!’ I will never forget being on FaceTime with my siblings before the Champions League Final against Inter. They said, ‘No matter what happens, we’re going to love you. All you need to do is fight for every single ball. Don’t worry about what comes after.’ In the 20th minute, I headed the ball back toward our goal and it was going to go out for a corner, and I said, ‘No, you can’t lose a single ball. You promised.’ I jumped up for it over the Inter player like I was in a kung-fu movie. Everyone posts that photo of me now, because I saved the ball and it started the counter-attack for our second goal. People ask me, ‘Bro, what were you thinking when you went for that?’ The answer is nothing. I was not thinking. I was just playing without fear. Now you know my story, and you know where that comes from. It comes from a place of pain and grief. But I came out the other side, into the light. When the match was over and we were champions, the first thing I said to myself was: Thank you, God. Thank you, mom. If only you could see this.” https://t.co/zhAK2eSE6l

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• Aug 16, 20266.5x their median

  Julio Rodriguez wants to be the best player he can be for the Mariners: “I knew I was a rookie. I got it. But it’s one thing hearing people say it to you, and it’s a whole other thing to believe it. Like really believe it. It didn’t feel early to me. I’d been waiting my whole life for this chance. Since I was hitting the tennis balls my dad saved up money for back in the Dominican. Since I was playing with Hot Wheels on the floor. Since I was pretending to be Ichiro in Loma de Cabrera. It wasn’t early to me. It was right on time. And I wanted to deliver for the people of Seattle. I wanted to show them who I could be. I went home that night and watched back my at-bats. I kept looking at the clock beside my bed. It was 1 a.m., then 2, then 3. And I was just watching different swings of mine, even good ones from other games, just looking for anything to help me out. I probably watched 500 swings that night before I passed out. I got to the park the next day and I found my hitting coach and I was just like, ‘What are we going to do? I know I can do this…. What am I missing?’ We chatted for a bit. Some technical stuff, some mindset stuff. But what it really came down to was this: Trust. I’d believed in myself my whole life. My family instilled that in me. And I’d always had confidence that the work I put in would pay off. But belief and confidence are different from trust. To me, trust is a whole other thing. And it’s a word that has meant so much to me in my time in Seattle. I want to tell you why. I know I’m not the first Dominican player to have made it to the big leagues like I did. There have been plenty before me, and there will be plenty after me. But you know what we all have in common? At some point, as young men, we just had to jump — we had to trust in those around us. Our parents, brothers and sisters, cousins, friends, friends of friends. Anyone. We had to hope that they had our best interests at heart. Because it takes a village to make a ballplayer in the Dominican. I saw kids like me, kids with real talent, get lost along the way because they didn’t have the right people around them. But I was lucky. I had my dad. He was a ballplayer back in the day, and I think that’s where my passion for the game comes from. And my mom made sure I treated everybody well and played the right way. They helped me see people for who they really are. And when I was considering my options for coming to America, I wanted to be around good people. The more time I spent talking with the Mariners, the more I started to feel something really special growing. In one of our conversations, they said something that really stuck with me: ‘We don’t want you to be anything other than the guy that you say you’re going to be.’ They looked at me, a 16-year-old kid, and put their faith in who I thought I could be. That’s trust. You get me?? That’s trust.” https://t.co/BZonqcKynS @JRODshow44 | @Mariners

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