Chris Archer is 28 now, with nearly four seasons of major league service time to his name, and suddenly the Tampa Bay Rays ace is closer to baseball middle age than his youthful appearance, energetic demeanor and 98-mph fastball would suggest. Yet with that advancing age comes deeper perspective, and a coping ability that in the past year came in handy. Archer went from the All-Star Game to baseball’s biggest loser in just one year – yet his 9-19 season was a “revealing process,” he said, exposing who his truest friends were and tapping his reservoirs of professional resolve. He saw his franchise once again retreat when he’d rather they attack, so Archer has learned to choose his words carefully, voicing his displeasure at the Rays’ low-budget ways when he must, even if it earns him an occasional trip to the principal’s office. And after seeing a president and First Lady he publicly admired give way to a chief executive with a far different worldview, Archer views Donald Trump’s presidency as the ultimate lesson that in America, anything is possible. “Honestly, what it tells me – if that person can become president, than any of us are capable of anything,” Archer told USA TODAY Sports. “His reputation coming in wasn’t that great, and he overcame those obstacles and accomplished his goal. “As far as that goes – this is America. Literally anything can happen. That’s probably the best thing I could take from the whole situation.” Making the most of an unexpected scenario isn’t a bad metaphor for Archer’s own 2016 campaign. - See more at: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...mpa-bay-rays-world-baseball-classic/97984650/
