Despite a formidable physique that makes him look like he could crush a baseball bat with his bare hands and turn it into a thousand toothpicks, a studious intellect peeks out of Jason Heyward’s 6-foot-4, 240 pound frame that disarms inquisitors who routinely shove notepads and tape recorders in his face.
The eldest offspring of a pair of Ivy League-educated parents is an unqualified rookie sensation for the Atlanta Braves who, because he exploded out of the gate in his inaugural season, has already been anointed the heir apparent to aging icon Chipper Jones as the face of the franchise. He’s also being billed as the civil rights torch-carrier for Home Run King Hank Aaron.
Through his soft baritone, Heyward politely and eloquently asks fans and pundits to pump the brakes on the expectations that skyrocketed after he procured the second-most votes of all National League outfielders, something that is extremely rare even for a first-year phenomenon.
“As far as comparisons, there is no comparison. He is Henry Aaron. He is the home run king and he is a definite trademark being a part of the Atlanta Braves and African American community,” he says deferentially. “He’s someone I look up to and I’m appreciative for coming before me and for opening up a lot of opportunities.”
Opportunities that, for various reasons, have waned in recent decades from a high of 33 percent African American participation in the game in the early 1970s. Because of his understated self-confidence, humbleness, amiable personality, high I.Q, precociousness and, most off all, his reputation as a silent baseball assassin, Heyward can nonetheless put a more diverse crowd in the seats and inspire young urbanites to take up the game. But for right now, Heyward, 20, is trying to get acclimated to the big leagues.
“I’ll tell you about my rookie season. It’s been a lot of fun. I’m on a great team; we’re a first-place team. I’m taking in a lot of things for the first time that we’re coming across. We’re having a lot of fun together.”
And, yes, he has gotten an audience with the baseball icon Aaron, who told the youngblood Heyward to pretty much go with the flow of what got him to this level and everything else will fall into place.
“I talked with him a couple of times, this is my first time meeting him in spring training. And he gave me friendly advice: ‘Just go have fun. Continue playing the way you are playing. Keep being yourself and that’ll take you where you want to be.’ ” –terry shropshire
