You don't have to like the comments made this week by Houston Astros' reliever Josh Hader, but you should respect his honesty.
First, understand the backstory: Hader threw two innings in the same outing on Tuesday for the Astros against the Cleveland Guardians. This is a big deal, because Hader almost never does this.
Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today:
Houston Astros closer Josh Hader, who went longer than three outs in a regular season game for the first time since Aug. 14, 2020, says he can relax now and pitch more than one inning now that he has been taken care of financially with a five-year, $95 million contract. Hader pitched multiple innings 80 times in his first three seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers until setting one-inning limits to protect himself.
"The team (Astros) invested in me, and we share the same risks," Hader told reporters. "If I get hurt, it’s not good for anybody.
"The Score" added that Hader recognized that saves were the only valuable metric to him under the arbitration system, so to take risks in non-save situations wasn't worth it to him.
To some of you, Hader sounds spoiled and entitled, guilty of caring more about himself than the team. To others of you, he sounds smart, and like he's looking out for his best interests when no one else will.
Again, you don't have to like what Hader had to say, and there's elements of both sides to this story, but you should respect his honesty. We get tired of athletes and coaches who spew the same cliches all the time, and we get tired of athletes giving us nothing at the podium.
You may not like what Hader had to say, but at least he said something honest, at least he said something interesting.
Furthermore, his comments remind us of another very true element about professional sports: Not all athletes are motivated by solely winning. We want to believe that our athletes care only about winning and care only about the team, but some of them have other motivations for playing the game. Josh Hader isn't the only athlete who values his money as much or more than team success or goals - he just said it out loud.
Again, you don't have to like it. But at least it's honest.
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