LOS ANGELES -- Mookie Betts spent his 33rd birthday similarly to how he passes the majority of his days during the baseball season: putting in work on the diamond, with the added excitement of a potential NL Division Series clincher on the horizon.

For Betts, who has made it to the playoffs in nine of the past 10 years with the Red Sox and Dodgers, playing postseason ball is something he expects to do on his birthday. But even if the date did not fall during baseball season, it's a fair bet that the superstar would find some enriching way to celebrate another trip around the sun.

It is that mentality, coupled with his feel for the game, that has contributed to Betts' transformation from a six-time Gold Glover in right field to one of the best shortstops in baseball.

"To go out there a

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