Tigers' Niko Goodrum Makes Promise to Team's Young Players After How He Was Treated When He Arrived in MLB

One of the less savory sides of baseball that doesn't get talked about very often? The struggle of the young player trying to transition from the minors to the big league team. All too often, the new guys from the lower levels are made to feel as if they aren't part of the club.

But at least one guy is trying to change that. After hearing Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson and former All-Star CC Sabathia discuss the issue, Detroit Tigers utility man Niko Goodrum made a commitment to the next wave of rising players that he's going to make them feel welcome.

"I won't forget that feeling and I always make sure now that NOT ONE young guy feels left out!" he tweeted Friday.

Goodrum experienced first-hand the struggles of not feeling fully welcome around the Tigers clubhouse. When he first joined the big league squad in 2017, he went through the loneliness of being the unwanted guy. He knows that pain, and it's heartwarming to see that he's dead set on putting a stop to it.

The first step towards solving this problem of exclusion starts with players like Goodrum who have experienced it themselves. The players hold the power to change these attitudes, and there's a real opportunity to erase the toxic environment that has come to characterize MLB clubhouses. It's encouraging to see guys like Goodrum and Anderson taking the initiative.