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Red Sox’ Jarren Duran has new approach? ‘Honestly, just not care’
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- Red Sox’ Jarren Duran has new approach? ‘Honestly, just not care’
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Jarren Duran is back at Red Sox spring training camp after bashing three home runs and a double in four games for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic.
He went 5-for-15 (.333) with five RBIs, five runs and two steals.
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That success comes after an excellent start to spring training before he left. He went 7-for-12 (.583) with three home runs, two doubles and five RBIs in five Grapefruit League games.
What’s the secret to his early success between spring training and the WBC?
“Honestly, just not care,” Duran said Saturday at JetBlue Park. “Like, I don’t care. Like my whole mentality is like, ‘I get a hit. Sick. I get out. Sick.’ I just don’t care. That’s my whole thing is like not make everything bigger than it needs to be, not make anything higher or lower than it needs to be. Just staying at an even playing field.”
Asked if this was a new way of thinking, Duran answered, “I don’t know. I’ll let you guys decide that. I’m sure you guys will have a fun time writing about that, so.”
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Duran has been hard on himself in the past when he doesn’t perform well. So this certainly does sound like a new approach.
“Just trying to stay at an even level, not get too high, not get too low,” he said.
Duran is expected to play Monday for the Red Sox when they travel to Sarasota to face the Orioles at 6:05 p.m. Grapefruit League games will be a lot different from what he just experienced. Duran said he especially enjoyed the atmosphere at the WBC.
“Hearing the USA fans and the Mexico fans go at it about the national anthems, seeing who was going to be louder,” he said.
He said the Mexican fans were “probably” louder.
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“Playing in those kind of games is just a different atmosphere,” Duran said. “It’s hard to explain unless you’re there to hear how loud those fans are. It’s really loud. Especially in Houston , where we all know it’s indoors. It was insane.”
He said it was cool getting to know Mexican teammates, including Brewers ’ Joey Ortiz , Pirates’ Nick Gonzales and Blue Jays’ Alejandro Kirk .
“Ortiz and Gonzales, they were kind of like the two guys that were messing with me the most and like chirping with me,” Duran said. “And Rowdy Tellez , I had him last time, so he would not let off of me. He was just on me the entire tournament. And then playing with Kirk because Kirk wasn’t there last time. I got to talk with him. He’s a super quiet guy, but super nice to talk to and hang out and watch him go out there and absolutely rake. I feel like that guy just wakes up and gets hits. I feel like it’s in his blood so it’s super cool to see.”
His dad, Octavio Duran , also had a blast.
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“I know my dad was ecstatic,” Duran said. “I know he was getting interviewed and asking to take pictures. My dad eats that stuff up. Total opposite of me. I try and hide from you guys, and he’s like, ‘Oh, yeah, come here, talk to me.’ So you guys want an interview, go interview him. I’m sure he’ll love it.”
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