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Is Controversial Right Fielder Secretly a Softie? Wednesday, May 19th , 1999 File this story under "whoda' thunk it?" Luna Lumineers's right fielder Joe Showalter is seen by some as being aloof and a bit of a loner. "I'd call him 'intense,'" teammate Carlos Martinez put it judiciously. Showalter's reputation isn't helped by his sometimes contentious relationship with the media, and most reporters would agree that he's not the easiest player to interview, let alone get to know. If he'd agree to talk with you, Showalter would probably explain that he puts all of his effort into his peformance on the field, and that he's focused on winning a championship, not a popularity contest. So everybody agrees that Showalter is, as the old-timers would say, a "tough egg." But maybe he isn't as hard-boiled as most folks might think. An inside source recently reported that Showalter has been volunteering his time at the Youth Baseball Foundation in Luna. When initially confronted with the story, Showalter angrily denied it, but his teammates were unanimous in support of his generous and, frankly, unexpected gesture. "It shows what we always suspected, that his heart is in the right place," said Martinez. "He really cares about kids, and that's what counts in the end." Does this signal the emergence of a kinder, gentler Showalter? Maybe, maybe not. But don't be surprised if you see him a get a few more high-fives from his fellow Luna players and perhaps a few more autograph requests from some of the kids who benefitted from his previously secret generosity. |
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