During a rough 2020 season with Oakland, Matt Olson let his frustration show. This was a weird year, with the
COVID protocols and no fans in the stands. Olson, one of the game’s best first
basemen, hit .195. He was not happy about his performance, and it became evident.
That season became a lesson that facilitated a mindset shift: It is not
always best to show frustration so outwardly.
“I felt like I wasn’t being a good teammate because of my own individual
stuff,” Olson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “When it goes past just
hurting yourself, it’s kind of like you’ve gotta take a look in the mirror.”
Marcus Semien, the veteran leader in Oakland at the time, helped with this.
One time, after Olson had a rough game and let his anger show, Semien pulled
him aside and gave him a little talk. The tone of it: “Come on, bro.”
“The ‘You’re-better-than-this’ kind of thing,” Olson said about it. “It stuck with me.”
This is why you rarely see Olson express anger or frustration in plain sight. He’s
slumped for large parts of this season, but the bats, bat racks and water coolers
have been safe. You might see Olson sling his helmet and bat to the side after
striking out, and you might see the irritation on his face you will not see him make a scene.
