Shane Victorino has been with the Dodgers for less than a week, but it looks like he’s already taking on a leadership role with the team.
According to Arash Markazi of ESPNLA, Victorino had already been in the team’s clubhouse for over an hour on Sunday prior to the team’s game at 4:10pm ET when a few of his teammates arrived. Victorino reportedly pointed to an imaginary watch on his wrist and said they “better start showing up earlier around here.”
The players in question were first baseman James Loney and reliever Javy Guerra, both of whom saw action in the 7-6 win.
It must be odd for a player who had only been with his new team for three games to start calling out his teammates, but that could be part of the reason the Dodgers acquired Victorino. Victorino has been to the playoffs the last five seasons and won a World Series. Maybe he feels he knows what the team needs to do to reach the Fall Classic.
“There’s definitely a ton of talent here,” Victorino said, per Markazi. “We’re in a position to win and now we just have to go out there and do it. We can’t press, we can’t do all these other things, everyone has to individually take care of what they have to and that’s what wins championships.”
As Joe Maddon has taught us, arriving early at the park doesn’t always help players, but it’s obvious Victorino wants to see more dedication from his teammates. Maybe his influence will help them beat the Giants in the NL West.
