All-Star outfielder Michael Conforto (33·Chicago Cubs), who had the worst season of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, was presented with a World Series championship ring.
The Dodgers presented Conforto with the championship ring on the 25th (Korean time) before their home game against the Cubs. Dodgers players Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy, among others, who visited Conforto at Dodger Stadium as Cubs players, gave him the championship ring and a uniform before the game and took commemorative photos. Kim Hye-seong, who was the only Dodgers player unable to attend the ring presentation on the 28th of last month because he was in Triple-A, was also present.
According to local media, including The Associated Press, Conforto said, "Opening the box and putting on the ring was one of the coolest moments of my baseball career. It rivals the moment after the Game 7 World Series win when I hugged my teammates and we celebrated," and said, "Although I was not on the postseason roster, I strongly felt like a part of the team. I was able to cheer for these players and be with them. It feels great to meet my teammates again and see them happy that I received a championship ring."
Conforto, a left-handed power hitter who was named an All-Star with the New York Mets in 2017 and hit a personal high of 33 home runs in 2019, fell sharply last year with the Dodgers. He joined on a one-year $17 million free agent contract but slumped badly, hitting .199 (83 hits in 418 at-bats) with 12 homers, 36 RBIs and a .637 OPS in 138 games.
He was used as the regular right fielder through August but ultimately could not recover and was completely left off the postseason roster. Although he contributed almost nothing to the championship, Dodgers players welcomed Conforto, who had spent a year with them, by presenting him with a championship ring. The ring presentation was possible because, despite his poor play, he was accepted as a teammate.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, "Conforto did not play as well as people or he himself wanted, but his presence in the clubhouse was excellent. I loved what he brought to the Dodgers." Despite his severe slump, Conforto said, "I wanted to make sure my performance did not affect my teammates."
Although he did not play in the game, he still can't forget Miguel Rojas' game-tying homer in the ninth inning of Game 7 of last year's World Series. Conforto recalled, "I always think about that moment. Experiencing one of the greatest games in history right there was truly amazing."
After his one-year contract with the Dodgers ended and he became a free agent, it took Conforto a long time to find a new team. He signed a minor league contract with the Cubs at the end of February and joined spring training as an invitee. In the exhibition games he showed signs of a rebound, hitting .342 (13 hits in 38 at-bats) with five RBIs and a .928 OPS, and earned a spot on the opening roster.
Although he is not an everyday starter after the season opened, he has occasionally started and shown his presence as a pinch hitter. In 15 games he hit .333 (11 hits in 24 at-bats) with five RBIs and a .927 OPS, showing signs of life. He has no home runs but has hit three doubles, and his walk rate rose noticeably from 11.5% last year to 21.9% this year, showing improvement in his formerly weak plate discipline.
Conforto said, "I wanted to hit for power alongside superstars with the Dodgers, but I wasted my energy in the wrong places. It's a good lesson I must keep and often remind myself of. I learned a lot last season and applied it to my offseason training," adding that Roberts' tough love helped him a great deal.
He said, "Roberts was really blunt and honest with me. 'You need to see more. Move runners up, and with no outs or one out you have to bring the runner from third home. Focus more on the small parts of the game rather than long hits or big swings,' he told me. I took those words to heart," and added, "Roberts believed in me for a long time and treated me positively. At the same time he was really honest about what I needed. As a player I could ask for nothing more. Thanks to him I was able to break out of a severe slump and become a valuable player for the team. I owe Roberts a lot," he said gratefully.
Although he ultimately could not recover with the Dodgers, he did not forget Roberts' affectionate tough love and rebounded with the Cubs. Conforto, who missed the Dodgers game on the 25th when he received the championship ring, came in as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning of the game on the 26th and hit a single to center. Former Dodgers teammates Miguel Rojas, Kiké Hernandez and Tommy Edman laughed when they saw Conforto in the dugout. Though he had been a .100 hitter, the scene showed what kind of presence Conforto was within the Dodgers clubhouse.
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