The Los Angeles Angels commended Mike Trout for “prioritizing his personal values over commercial self-promotion” on Wednesday, a day after MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said that the outfielder would be an even bigger star if he would spend more time marketing himself.
Trout responded to Manfred’s comments after exiting Tuesday night’s All-Star Game in which he hit a home run in the American League’s 8-6 victory, saying, “I do as much as I can. But it’s a long baseball season. I got to pick and choose when I want to do things and go from there.”
On Wednesday, the Angels called Trout “an exceptional ambassador for the game” in their statement.
“Combined with his talent, his solid character creates a perfect role model for young people everywhere. Each year, Mike devotes a tremendous amount of his time and effort contributing to our Organization, and marketing Major League Baseball. He continually chooses to participate in the community, visiting hospitals, schools, and countless other charities.
“One of Mike’s traits that people admire most is his humility. His brand is built upon generously spending his time engaging with fans, both at home and on the road, while remaining a remarkable baseball player and teammate. In addition, Mike spends quality time as a husband, son brother, uncle, and friend. We applaud him for prioritizing his personal values over commercial self-promotion. That is rare in today’s society and stands out as much as his extraordinary talent. “
On Tuesday before the All-Star Game, Manfred said that “player marketing requires one thing for sure — the player.”
“You cannot market a player passively. You can’t market anything passively. You need people to engage with those to whom you are trying to market in order to have effective marketing. We are very interested in having our players more engaged and having higher-profile players and helping our players develop their individual brand. But that involves the player being actively engaged,” he said.
Trout, 26, is a two-time American League MVP and a seven-time All-Star.