Trout Selected as New A's Captain

Post date: Aug 18, 2014 2:52:59 PM

Mike Trout was voted by teammates as new Captain

In one of the least surprising outcomes surrounding the team in this year of major changes, 23-year old outfielder Mike Trout was voted today as the 8th Captain in team history. He succeeds Matt Wieters, the catcher who was dealt away to Omaha earlier this season and who had served in the role since the 2011 season.

"I'm totally honored that the guys would think of me this way" said the A's superstar. "We have a lot of leaders in this locker room. Guys who have a lot more experience than me. Miggy, JRoll, guys like that. I'll just keep being me, and hopefully that's enough to help." That is exactly what those veterans want. "He's what they look like, the true superstars, better than everyone else, on another level" said Rollins. "The way he carries himself in here and out on the field, and his role with this organization, this was a no-brainer."

The vote was reportedly unanimous, and was also reportedly orchestrated by Cabrera. "This young man is the face of this franchise, if not this whole game. He deserves this, and he earned this. He's very young, but we all admire the way he plays and goes about his business on the field and off it, that's what this is about" said Miggy.

A's manager Joe Maddon had been openly pushing the issue on plane trips while travelling on the road the last month or so, according to some of the players. "This has always been an important tradition with this franchise, the Captaincy" said the manager. "I know some of the guys were talking about it back in June, July. So I pushed the veterans to get something done over the last couple of weeks. You have to respect the way they went about it, and the choice they made. He's a great choice."

Trout has been the Athletics 'Jimmy Foxx Award' winner as the team's Offensive Player of the Year in each of the last two years, his first two seasons in the WFBL, has been a WFBL seasonal All-Star each of those years, and was the league's 'Pete Rose Award' winner in 2012 as the Rookie of the Year. He is heavily favored to take his 3rd straight Foxx Award, and is a leading contender for another WFBL All-Star honor. The previous Athletics team Captains have been: Chuck Knoblauch (1998), Jason Kendall (1999-2000), Derek Jeter (2001-02, 2004), Eric Chavez (2003), Jason Varitek (2005), Chase Utley (2006-2010) and Wieters.