Rangers will miss Prince Fielder's unselfish perspective
— -- ARLINGTON, Texas -- Prince Fielder arrived in Texas with a massive contract, a home run title and a reputation for playing every day.
He didn't come with much of an ego, though it would've been completely understandable considering he was the son of big leaguer Cecil Fielder and played in six All-Star Games, winning the Home Run Derby at one of them.
And just like that, Fielder's career is apparently over. After having neck fusion surgery for the second time in three seasons he's reportedly expected to announce Wednesday that he is physically unable to play, thus ending his career. The medical designation means he will collect on the remaining $96 million, he's owed on the nine-year, $214 million contract he signed with the Detroit Tigers in 2012.
In three seasons with the Texas Rangers, Fielder hit 34 homers with 158 RBIs in just 289 games. He hit .269 with an OPS of .760, well below his career averages.
Winning mattered more to Fielder than his stats. He cared more about being a good teammate than his Wins Above Replacement. When manager Jeff Banister asked him to be a designated hitter, allowing Mitch Moreland to play first base, Fielder quickly acquiesced. When asked about the move, Fielder said, "Mitch is a better first baseman than me. The team is better if he's at first."
After playing just 42 games his first season in Texas because he needed neck fusion surgery, Fielder returned to hit .305 with 23 homers and 98 RBIs in 2015.
This season, though, the moon shots were replaced by singles slapped to left and blooped to center. Instead of yanking the ball into defensive shifts, he hit the ball to the opposite field.
When asked how his ego handled the dip in power, Fielder replied, "I'd rather hit .300 and win than hit 30 homers and lose."
He's one of the players who looked out for rookie outfielder Nomar Mazara when he joined the club in April. Fielder and Adrian Beltre controlled the clubhouse so Jeff Banister didn't have to do it.
Prince never enjoyed talking much about himself, though he would always make time for an NBA conversation or a chat about his two sons.
When Fielder missed much of the 2014 season, it changed his perspective on life, and he didn't mind telling folks. The time away from the game forced him to mature and change the way he viewed baseball. It made him realize the fragility of his career and the importance of fatherhood. No longer did he wrap his identity in how far he could hit a baseball. His family, his kids were more important.
Fielder's two sons spent much of the summer at the ballpark shagging flies, riding their hover board and playing with the sons of Beltre and Shin-Soo Choo.
Fielder recently chastised one of his sons because he could smell the youngster had forgotten to use his deodorant.
As his son left to follow his father's directive, Fielder chuckled. Now, he'll have more time for father-son moments like those.