When Sports Is Just a Job.

Not every athlete dreamed on it

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Anthony Rendon, pictured above with his usual expression of disinterest, plays baseball for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Sometimes he does. After signing a $245 million contract with the Angels in 2020 to become their starting third baseman and putative offensive linchpin, Rendon has played in 58, 47 and 43 games over the past three seasons due to a variety of injuries.

So maybe Rendon isn’t the person you want to hear from on the subject of enthusiasm for his work, especially if you’re a long-suffering fan of the Anaheims. Nevertheless, Rendon was asked about the topic this week during an early morning pre-practice media session at spring training.

Let me first just relay the entire exchange to you, so we don’t miss any context. You need to read it all.