Why Bochy walking Kjerstad to load the bases made me smile...

[Roy Firestone]

I want to be clear that Im very aware that Bochy walking Kjerstad  to load the bases was a somewhat routine strategy. Its an obvious attempt to get a force or double play.. I understand that.. But I still had a small smile on my face when they walked him to load the bases, that this kid, with less than 30 MLB at bats is already creating a buzz around baseball, and that grand slam HR , his second HR in a week, was a "respect" moment. I have seen some  players with great starts, swoon, and some never recover. I dont feel that way about this guy. He looks nothing like a rookie or a very very young player.He is patient, never overswings, knows the strike zone, hits the ball with authority even in outs...and seems to really love to play. I think he's a keeper for sure, and just maybe a budding major star. My God, what talent we have. Now if we can just get some pitching, this is gonna be a fun summer. It already is. Heston Kjerstad is must see TV. I think he's gonna be a monster.

[Surhoffan17]

I also like his approach. His first game back up earlier this week, he had the two hits (which were not cheapies) and then the long AB - I forget how many pitches it was. Just imagine he and Coby in addition to what we have? Of course, next year we won't have Taters, but still...we might approach 300 homers. 

[jdwilde1]

I was at the game the other night when Heston was in LF and was surprised at just how big he is.  He looks like a tight end.   It’s easy to see how he generates so much easy power.  And he runs better than advertised, although not all that fluid.  He appears to have all the makings of a middle of the order bat.

[InsideCoroner]

I know we have better prospects and that his defensive limitations make it a challenge to find him playing time, but Kjerstad is the one guy I really hope they don’t trade. 

[Fiver6565]

I have been thinking that maybe in the future Basallo would be our Yordan Alvarez equivalent, but the positional difference isn’t perfect there. However, perhaps it’s Kjerstad. Unreal power, good plate discipline, and average at best defense. I know they have to trade somebody, but I hope it’s not Special K. Of course I also hope it’s not Mayo, or Basallo, or Cowser……LOL. Glad it’s not my job to decide. 
 

I nominate Special K as a nickname by the way. Better than Silent J IMHO. 

[Philip]

10 minutes ago, Fiver6565 said:

I have been thinking that maybe in the future Basallo would be our Yordan Alvarez equivalent, but the positional difference isn’t perfect there. However, perhaps it’s Kjerstad. Unreal power, good plate discipline, and average at best defense. I know they have to trade somebody, but I hope it’s not Special K. Of course I also hope it’s not Mayo, or Basallo, or Cowser……LOL. Glad it’s not my job to decide. 
 

I nominate Special K as a nickname by the way. Better than Silent J IMHO. 

Respectfully disagree. Special K could be applied to lots of different people, but Silent J is only Heston.

Having said that, he’ll probably end up with some silly name like “Sparky.”

[interloper]

He's reminiscent of the prototypical 90s-era slugger, except he's actually athletic. 

There's some Davis there, too. Upright stance, low effort swing. Davis was pretty athletic in his younger days. But seems like Heston has a wayyyy better hit tool, obviously.

[FlaO'sFan]

He looks totally unafraid of anyone now up at the plate. The HR he hit last night was not the easiest pitch to hit. It broke in on his hands and Heston had the presence to keep his hands in while still having the power to get it out.

Imo, Heston is going to hit 30-40 HR's a year with normal playing time, and with how valuable that is in the game today, I hope we can find a way not to trade him.

Edited Sunday at 17:14 by FlaO'sFan

[thegardner]

32 minutes ago, Roy Firestone said:

I want to be clear that Im very aware that Bochy walking Kjerstad  to load the bases was a somewhat routine strategy. Its an obvious attempt to get a force or double play.. I understand that.. But I still had a small smile on my face when they walked him to load the bases, that this kid, with less than 30 MLB at bats is already creating a buzz around baseball, and that grand slam HR , his second HR in a week, was a "respect" moment. I have seen some  players with great starts, swoon, and some never recover. I dont feel that way about this guy. He looks nothing like a rookie or a very very young player.He is patient, never overswings, knows the strike zone, hits the ball with authority even in outs...and seems to really love to play. I think he's a keeper for sure, and just maybe a budding major star. My God, what talent we have. Now if we can just get some pitching, this is gonna be a fun summer. It already is. Heston Kjerstad is must see TV. I think he's gonna be a monster.

I completely agree, I was kind of shocked and it made me smile too, also made me smile thinking about what he's overcome.   

[Bahama O's Fan]

30 minutes ago, Fiver6565 said:

I have been thinking that maybe in the future Basallo would be our Yordan Alvarez equivalent, but the positional difference isn’t perfect there. However, perhaps it’s Kjerstad. Unreal power, good plate discipline, and average at best defense. I know they have to trade somebody, but I hope it’s not Special K. Of course I also hope it’s not Mayo, or Basallo, or Cowser……LOL. Glad it’s not my job to decide. 
 

I nominate Special K as a nickname by the way. Better than Silent J IMHO. 

When I first saw the Silent J nickname I thought of the Jay and Silent Bob movies. I don't if it's intended to be a play off of that or purely coincidental. 

[Mooreisbetter27]

43 minutes ago, Fiver6565 said:

I have been thinking that maybe in the future Basallo would be our Yordan Alvarez equivalent, but the positional difference isn’t perfect there. However, perhaps it’s Kjerstad. Unreal power, good plate discipline, and average at best defense. I know they have to trade somebody, but I hope it’s not Special K. Of course I also hope it’s not Mayo, or Basallo, or Cowser……LOL. Glad it’s not my job to decide. 
 

I nominate Special K as a nickname by the way. Better than Silent J IMHO. 

Silent J is better because it’s a play off the fact the J in his name Is silent. Plus, didn’t he come up with it himself? Or it’s been a nickname he’s had iirc. I like it. 

[Filmstudy]

It was a good sign, but is not quite the most bizarre intentional walk I've seen.

I'll put this in the form of a trivia question:

Once there was an Oriole who got hits in his first 2 career ABs vs a big rival.  He then came to bat in the 9th inning (still his 1st game) with 1st and 3rd, 1 out and was intentionally walked to load the bases!  The Orioles would fail to score, but the new guy was in the on-deck circle as the Orioles walked off the game in the following innnig.

So you don't spoil it for everyone, please give your answer to the question in the form of a tangential or perhaps less-known hint about the player's career.

[Morgan423]

42 minutes ago, Philip said:

Respectfully disagree. Special K could be applied to lots of different people, but Silent J is only Heston.

Having said that, he’ll probably end up with some silly name like “Sparky.”

The closed captioning on the MASN broadcast has already decided to start calling him "Kirsten," so I doubt anything that anyone else comes up with is going to be much worse.  

[Can_of_corn]

57 minutes ago, Fiver6565 said:

I have been thinking that maybe in the future Basallo would be our Yordan Alvarez equivalent, but the positional difference isn’t perfect there. However, perhaps it’s Kjerstad. Unreal power, good plate discipline, and average at best defense. I know they have to trade somebody, but I hope it’s not Special K. Of course I also hope it’s not Mayo, or Basallo, or Cowser……LOL. Glad it’s not my job to decide. 
 

I nominate Special K as a nickname by the way. Better than Silent J IMHO. 

I vote we don't give him the same nickname as Ketamine.

[Roy Firestone]

58 minutes ago, Fiver6565 said:

I have been thinking that maybe in the future Basallo would be our Yordan Alvarez equivalent, but the positional difference isn’t perfect there. However, perhaps it’s Kjerstad. Unreal power, good plate discipline, and average at best defense. I know they have to trade somebody, but I hope it’s not Special K. Of course I also hope it’s not Mayo, or Basallo, or Cowser……LOL. Glad it’s not my job to decide. 
 

I nominate Special K as a nickname by the way. Better than Silent J IMHO. 

Love Special K...as a nickname...Maybe Kellogs should be interested..he would be a natural endorser...