GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Jason Kipnis used to be able to roll out of bed, wipe the crust from his eyes, shake off the exhaustion, the soreness, the late night, the morning fog and get ready for that day’s game. Just hand him a Red Bull and pencil his name into the lineup.
And now?
“I need a Red Bull to get out of bed,” Kipnis said, laughing.
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Kipnis has heard (and read) it all: He’s older. He’s slower. He’s no longer in peak physical shape, no longer the optimal second baseman for the Indians, no longer worth his escalating salary. He’s considered each of those claims himself, but he’s fixated on the mention of his age (he’ll turn 31 on April 3).
With age comes wisdom, and Kipnis believes he’s smarter than ever. What he might lack physically, he thinks he can compensate for with experience.
“It’s weird how often that’s forgotten by some people who don’t play the game,” he said. “You always make the adjustments each year of working smarter instead of harder. You realize what actually is important in terms of success and what you need to do.”
Instead of pushing limits on the bench press, Kipnis now devotes extra time to stretching. Instead of pushing curfews with his bedtime, Kipnis goes to sleep early and rises early. Instead of strolling into spring training with an aura of nonchalance, Kipnis prepares sooner; he started throwing and hitting before Thanksgiving at Curtis Granderson’s indoor facility at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In the past, he held off on initiating his regimen until New Year’s.
That might explain Kipnis’ blistering Cactus League performance, highlighted by his six home runs. He hopes it’s foreshadowing of a bounce-back season.
“When he’s healthy he’s proven he can be an All-Star type player,” manager Terry Francona said. “We need that.”
Kipnis suffered through a humbling offseason. It was simple to spot his name in trade rumors. It was difficult to place his name on the Indians’ defensive lineup projections.
Kipnis questioned whether he was wanted in Cleveland, whether his tenure with the only big-league organization he’s ever known was on borrowed time. He eventually converted the anger into fuel and he also came to understand how his salary — and his lack of production and health last season — weren’t an efficient mix for the Indians’ modest payroll.
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“If I’m a fantasy GM or something like that, I could see it, too, or at least (would) hear offers,” Kipnis said. “But at the same time, once I realized that I have a season to get ready for, regardless of who it’s for, that becomes your main focus instead of what the rumors are and what’s going on behind the scenes because you don’t have any control over that.”
Jason Kipnis has clubbed six homers already this spring. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)
A few years ago, Kipnis probably wouldn’t have handled it as well. He gained some perspective during his struggle-filled summer and winter of uncertainty. He said he acquired a new appreciation for baseball. And he knows the only path to reversing outside opinion is the narrow dirt-filled trail that begins at home plate.
“The way you change everyone’s mind is by going out and producing, going out and playing well,” Kipnis said. “No matter if people are on your side or against you, if you go out and play well, it’s hard to say anything to that.”
He has fared well in the past when equipped with such a grudge. After a dreadful 2014 campaign, Kipnis rebounded with a .303/.372/.451 slash line and an All-Star Game nod in 2015. That was, however, three years and plenty of wear and tear ago.
“It’s like along the lines with young pitchers,” Francona said. “When they’re 22, they go out there every day and they let it fly and we remind them, ‘Hey, you have one arm.’ Once it doesn’t feel good — be smart about it.
“You see that with position players, too, the same thing. They may have lost a half-step here, but they may have gained a full step mentally. As long as they’re evolving, it works. And truth be told, as guys age, you have to do more in the offseason. It’s not really fair, but that’s just the way it is. Because if you don’t, you are going to lose a step.”
Kipnis has noticed it now takes him 45 minutes to an hour to complete a stretching routine that used to require a half-hour. But he no longer minds the work. He knows he can’t just guzzle an energy drink and jog up to the plate.
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“I enjoy the process now of hitting in the cage for hours,” Kipnis said. “I enjoy the working out and stretching, all that stuff. It’s not stuff I could’ve said in years past. I was more of the gamer who would just show up and once the lights come on, ‘Let’s go.’ But now it’s a need to enjoy the process a little more and it’s been fun for me. The game itself hasn’t changed. When you put in the work and feel good, whether I was 24 or 30, when I feel good, I’m very confident that I can have success.”
Top photo: Jason Kipnis (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)
Zack Meisel is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Cleveland Guardians and Major League Baseball. Zack was named the 2021 Ohio Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association and won first place for best sports coverage from the Society of Professional Journalists. He has been on the beat since 2011 and is the author of four books, including "Cleveland Rocked," the tale of the 1995 team. Follow Zack on Twitter @ZackMeisel
