by Amaury Pi Gonzlaez

TEMPE AZ–Angels centerfielder Mike Trout was named the 2014 American League Most Valuable Player. Trout was the unanimous winner with 420 points in the balloting process. The 18th unanimous winner in the balloting process. He is considered the best player in MLB today and many selected him as “the face of baseball”to replace Derek Jeter, who retired last season.

Prior to winning his first MVP, Trout finished second in the voting in 2012 and 2013, to the inimitable Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers. At 23 years of age he is the third player in Angels history to earn the award, joining Vladimir Guerrero(2004)and Don Baylor(currently the Angels batting instructor)in 1979.

Tempe Diablo Stadium, in Tempe, Arizona has been the spring training home of the Halos since 1993 and today is the oldest of all spring training parks here in the Valley of the Sun, where a total of 15 teams hold their camps. The most famous #27 in baseball sat with me today for a few minutes prior to practice at Tempe Stadium.

Q: How does it feels when I say, Mike Trout the MVP of the American League?

T: “It’s awesome, really, a real honor, I try not to think about that too much, I am here to help our team win this division again and a World Series in October, which is our goal”

Q: Last season you hit 36 home runs and drove in 111 runs, scored 115 runs. Personally, what would you like to improve in this 2015 season?

T: “Well, last year is last year, but I did struck out much more than I should…and I hope this year I can cut down on my strike outs, I need to put the ball in play more and help the team and that is what I have been working this spring here with our hitting coach. Sometimes I am over aggressive at the plate, I have to be more selective”

Q: Last year in Anaheim I remember you saying a few words in Spanish, although our interviews on Fox Sports West are done in English, then I translate what you said in our pre-game show. How are you coming along with Spanish?

T: (Smile)”Hola, tranquilo(which means Hello, Fine) no, not really I am learning from Erick and from Albert and some of the guys, because I am prohibited to play winter ball down there, but they help me…however I still hjavde a long way to go before I can do a complete interview with you in Spanish”. (Erick is shortstop Erick Aybar and Albert is first basdeman Albert Pujols).

Q:Mike, you are having a great spring training hitting above .500 have shown everybody why you won the MVP. Is this because you are more confident with yourself than in the previous seasons?

T: “I feel great, and yes I do have much more confidence than my first spring training when I was very eager but a few years younger coming out of the minor leagues, but -look-this is a great team, we won 98 games last season more than anybody in baseball, we have great players here and it is really a privilege to play with these guys”

Q: You live with your parents in their home during the winter in New Jersey. How does that works?

T: “I spend a lot of time with my parent over there, yes, and I still have most of my High School friends and all my buddies there, so yes, I spend a lot of times, specially his winter in Milville”

Q: You are so accesable to the media. Do you expect now that you are the MVP and you are in high demand, to continue?

T: “I like to, I now you guys have a job to do, so I will see how it goes this season, but I have no problems with that, is part of my job, the team pays me well and anytime that I can talk to you and all the guys, I have no ‘problema’with that”.

Told him thank you and I see you soon in Anaheim, although I will still be watching you here for another week.

He thank me, walked to the left side of the dugout picked his glove and went on to the field to practice.

Mike Trout has innate type of talent, but at 23 years of age he comports himself like a real veteran. Do not be surprise if he wins a lot of MVP awards in the years to come. I hope he stays humble and very accessible, he is the same with the fans, always posing for photos with the fans, signing autographs and a real delight to be around.

One more thing. The older players, like future Hall of Fame star Albert Pujols told me that Trout listens to the veterans and that is very important, he still in a learning process. And that should be very scary news for the opposing pitchers.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is Spanish radio voice for the Oakland A’s and the Spanish TV voice for the Angels and does News and Commentary each week on http://www.sportsradioservice.com