Hank Aaron. Ken Griffey, Jr. Now, Albert Pujols.
Besides being three of the greatest baseball players in the history of the game, these three have been mentioned over the past month in connection with another subject.
Jason Heyward.
The Braves rookie phenom has drawn praise from all over.
Bobby Cox said the pop off his bat when he makes contact reminds him of Hank Aaron. Bobby Cox! One of the most successful managers in baseball history does not normally throw words around like that.
Reporters have likened the 20-year-old to Ken Griffey, Jr.
Today, veteran Tigers manager Jim Leyland said, "Obviously a young man with his size, with the strength he has, he looks like a really good looking young player. I was very impressed with his patience at the plate more than anything. He didn't chase any bad balls. (Albert) Pujols was the other guy who was like that.''
Leyland's remarks came after a Heyward bomb in the first inning of a Grapefruit League game against the Tigers. Early estimates have the distance at between 470-500 feet.
So far this spring, Heyward is hitting a cool .417 with a home run, only one strikeout, and five walks in 12 at-bats.
The legend of Heyward began a mere two weeks ago when the linebacker in right-fielder's clothing launched a couple of moonshots in batting practice, one of which destroyed the assistant general manager's sunroof on his car—a car that was parked at least 450 feet away from home plate.
I cringed at all the attention Heyward was getting this early. He is only 20 years old, after all.
Now, I must admit I am fully entrenched on the daily Jason Heyward hype wagon. Heck, at this point, I'm willing to drive the darn thing.
If this kid does not break camp with the big league club, I will be shocked. If this kid does not win the Rookie of the Year in 2010, I will be even more shocked.
I realize it's spring training, but the buzz around this team, this offense, and this player is unrivaled in recent years for the Atlanta Braves.
As Heyward's hype continues to grow, the hope surrounding the 2010 season in Atlanta swells to levels unprecedented in recent years.
The Jay-Hey Kid seems ready to deliver on his enormous hype.
Who am I to disagree?
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