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

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

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

I knew someone would bring this up. Ketamine does have legitimate therapeutic uses, but  I don’t see the Special K nickname sticking. 

[btdart20]

Agreed @Roy Firestone!  It looked like a deep fly but kept carrying last night.  Equal parts OPACY and HK power.  The GS, the IBB, the strong week...  after all HK has been through since being drafted, and to come up big in the game, man, that had to be a great moment!  And we saw him enjoy the moment at 1st.  

After seeing the GS, I turned to my boys and said "I doubt he's traded now."  TBD for sure, but that was a good team/city moment.  But the IBB shows some plus value in the marketplace too.

[spiritof66]

On 6/30/2024 at 12:44 PM, 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 don't think "K" is a good idea in a hitter';s nickname. There's a reason Doc Gooden was sometimes called "Dr. K." 

There have been a few basketball players nicknamed Special K. Clark Kellogg and Larry Kenon come to my mind right away. I can't think of any non-pitchers in MLB.

[gretzkyscores]

On 6/30/2024 at 12:30 PM, 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.

Agree 100% !!!

[1fingerwillie]

23 hours ago, Filmstudy said:

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.

Billy Ripken

[Il BuonO]

23 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

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

Don't knock ketamine. Have you tried it? I hear good things.

[Goober Noodles]

23 hours ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

I knew someone would bring this up. Ketamine does have legitimate therapeutic uses, but  I don’t see the Special K nickname sticking. 

I feel like I could find myself yelling "Special K with the Silent J" during this upcoming Mariners series... I have seats right behind the plate for the 4th.

[Il BuonO]

It's hilarious to me that this team's pitching often is under the microscope. They've performed very well considering little Bradish, Means and no Wells.

Edited 21 hours ago by Il BuonO

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

17 minutes ago, Goober Noodles said:

I feel like I could find myself yelling "Special K with the Silent J" during this upcoming Mariners series... I have seats right behind the plate for the 4th.

Do it MASN cameras might pick you up.

[Filmstudy]

1 hour ago, 1fingerwillie said:

Billy Ripken

Sorry, not the correct answer.

[SteveA]

On 6/30/2024 at 1:43 PM, Roy Firestone said:

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

Wouldn't be the first association between an Oriole and a Kelloggs cereal brand...

[now]

2 hours ago, Il BuonO said:

It's hilarious to me that this team's pitching often is under the microscope. They've performed very well considering little Bradish, Means and no Wells.

I hear ya but I think the angst comes from looking forward from here. In the first half we had at least the equivalent of a main rotation piece (15 starts) from those three. Going forward that's 0. Also on the trepidation scale is the shelf life of good starts from Suarez and Irvin, with Irvin already confirming doubts. Then there's Kremer, also spending time on the IL. Amid all the carnage we have Povich as a ray of (also tentative) hope, to complement the ace and king we're still holding. So yes, there is real concern over the rotation (and the bullpen has its own concerns beginning with the loss of Coulombe).

All that said, I'm fully on board with considering Kjerstad as a top-gun member of the Untouchables!

[Tony-OH]

On 6/30/2024 at 12:43 PM, InsideCoroner said:

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. 

I'll be honest, he's surprised me a bit with his defense and speed this year. His spring speed is 67th percentile and better yet, he's looked pretty decent, if not a little awkward, even while playing giant left field in Camden yards. Now, saying that, his reaction times have been quite poor (-2.9 ft/sec) and his burst is not great (-1.1 ft) but his routes have been pretty good and he's still getting used to MLB stadiums with upper decks. Heck, he even maxed at a 96.1 MH throw which is more arm strength then I've seen before. 

So I have to give him some credit for doing some things this offseason to better his defensive abilities. Even Colton Cowser, who is is 9 OAA this year in the outfield and covers 34.8 ft/sec (1.3 ft better than average) was 1-.2 last year so sometimes it takes a bit. 

Is Kjerstad better suited for RF than LF in Camden Yards, sure, but his defense has actually been ok out there. He's playable and should get better.