Jacoby Strikes Back
Jacoby was featured in a Men’s Vogue spread. Josh Beckett retaliated with a cover and spread in Men’s Fitness magazine. Jacoby responded this week – he is featured as the “First Person” in Sports Illustrated. What’s next in this contest – Josh posing on the cover of Bride’s magazine? Jacoby hugging Oprah on the cover of O magazine?
click on the picture for a scan of the article
From the March 10, 2008 issue:
On being a starting centerfielder in the World Series, just 16 weeks after his big league debut, and batting .438There was pressure, but I figured this is uncharted territory for a lot of guys. Even if you’re a five-time All-Star, if you’ve never been to the postseason, it’s new. I told myself there was no reason to back down. I didn’t want it to be over and think, Oh, man, I could’ve gone harder.
On the post-Series parade held in his honor in his hometown, Madras, Ore.
The coolest thing was that it seemed like I knew everybody by first name, my old teachers, my former teammates, my old classmates. Only 5,000 people live in our town, and at least that many were at the parade. A lot of people talked about seeing me on TV running in to celebrate after the last out. They were saying, “You should have seen your face. It was priceless.”
On Boston’s Coco Crisp, whom he replaced in center during the ALCS
We talk, we joke, but the centerfield job hasn’t come up. We know what’s going on. He’s been great. The day I got called up, Coco took me out to centerfield at Fenway and started telling me, “O.K., if the ball hits [the wall] here, this is what it will do and where you need to be.” He spent an hour with me.
On the off-season regimen that helped him gain 15 pounds and improve his considerable speed
I do something called SPARQ. It stands for speed, power, agility, reaction and quickness, and it’s about focusing on muscle groups that relate to what I do on the field. One thing I do is swing a [61⁄2-pound] medicine ball like a bat–it generates explosiveness through your hips, abs, legs, upper body. I’ve never felt more prepared for a season. I’ve never been this powerful, this explosive.
:: sends photo to daughter ::
How can you NOT love Coco?!?! Taking Jacoby to CF to show him how to play the wall. That’s just awesome.
“I’ve never been this powerful, this explosive.” Beware, Yankees, beware.
dude, you and Paps need to seriously stop doing interviews. you’re going to jinx yourself. if you have a craptastic season, you’re going to look stupid. (see also: Nomar Garciaparra). you haven’t even MADE THE STARTING LINEUP YET! you know I love you, man, but seriously..just focus on getting the job first, mmm k? stop being a walking press magnet and focus on improving at the plate.
by the way…dude looks seriously tired and drained in this picture – not his best. get some sleep!!!
also…is dude wearing SWEATPANTS in that picture? seriously?? come on, man…you’re a Mens Vogue guy, not George Costanza.
//dude, you and Paps need to seriously stop doing interviews. you’re going to jinx yourself.//
my my, it seems the honeymoon is over with our golden boys, eh? we act like they walk on water for a year and then we’re surprised when they have a high opinion of themselves? confidence, positive thinking and projection are all a part of the mentality needed to succeed at this level.
also, he HAS focused on improving at the plate–that’s what the interview was all about. he’s put on 15 lbs of muscle and says right in that q&a how he’s focused on improving at the plate. do you think because he did one 10-minute Q&A with SI it outweighs three months of intensive off-season training?
I don’t think Papelbon and Jacoby giving interviews jinxes them at all. I happen to really like that so many of the team make themselves available to the media and the fans.
I don’t care who you are, but if Sports Illustrated comes calling… you do the interview. Period. That is a huge honor for him.
ok – relax everyone, don’t get so defensive. I’m not anti-Jacoby – I just think hsi best interest is to be cautious with media exposure at this point. I’m concerned about this guy getting overhyped before he’s really done anything – Lord knows its been known to happen, to athletes, movie stars, etc. – and a postseason series doesnt count. we still don’t know how he’s going to perform in his first full season. I just think it’s premature for him to be doing so many interviews – and he is – in addition to SI, let’s not forget he had a spread in Mens Vogue and is all over the Globe. not to mention various other endorsements in the works. I will say it again – I love the guy but HE HAS NOT PLAYED A FULL SEASON YET.
case in point: Shane Spencer – the guy got a lot of NYC media attention in the 1998 Yankee postseason after being called up Sept 1 and performing better than expected, hitting 3 grand slams and getting a spot on the postseason roster. he was the “rookie to watch” and expected to get a starting position in 1999. where is he now? after bouncing around to a bunch of teams without much success and performing below expectations, he’s currently the hitting coach for the Lake Elsinore Storm, ‘nuf said.
not a good photo…at all
he looks like I do on my way to work in the morning – like someone just woke him up. photoshop!
Despite looking disheveled and tired and all that, it’s still an amazing picture. (Also, kudos to TG’s scanner! I tried to take a picture of the page and it did not work at all.)
Jacoby is a Golden God!
lyndsay, people are disagreeing with you, not getting defensive. there’s a difference.
you’re right, many players start off strong and fizzle or don’t reach their original hyped-up potential. but there’s some pretty strong evidence jacoby is the real deal, like hitting .438 in the World Series, for starters.
be that as it may, that’s beside the point in this conversation, which is that as far as i know, there’s no direct correlation between number of appearances / endorsement deals / interviews and failure to thrive as a major league baseball player.