Ken Rosenthal puts baseball's opening day achievements into perspective:
Two homers by Albert Pujols. Seven shutout innings by Tim Lincecum. The first National League victory by Roy Halladay.
And still, the biggest story of Opening Day was the Braves' astonishing rookie, right fielder Jason Heyward.
You've heard Yankees fans sing, "De-rek Je-ter!"
Braves fans broke out a new chant, roaring, "Let's go Hey-ward!"
"Our fans don't do that," general manager Frank Wren said. "But they started doing it in the first inning - before he hit his home run.
"They did it all day long. It was all over the place. It gave you chills." [...]
Braves third baseman Chipper Jones told reporters that after Heyward's homer, "I don't know that I've ever heard this stadium that loud."
The true test of Heyward's ability may be how he handles and responds to all the expectations and attention he will now receive. He's done a great job of handling it so far this spring, so hopefully he can keep it going.
0 recs | 38 comments
ESPN has had a special box in the corner of the front page about him…can’t say we don’t get any attention now….
Doghnut - April 6, 2010
big time
southman - April 6, 2010
Who are they talking about?
BeantownVol - April 6, 2010
I agree with Chipper, that stadium was rocking. Damn pollen is making my eyes water. ;)
Sparhawk - April 6, 2010
An Honest Question
I’ve watched the replay of Heyward’s blast a number of times. Does it look to anyone else like Zambrano was throwing a down and in sinker? It certainly didn’t look offspeed. Wondering if anyone else had opinion.
If Heyward can put a mid 90s sinker thats thrown down in the zone in the back of the Brave’s pen, what could he do to a hanging change?
kalesi - April 6, 2010
it definitely wasn’t off speed
RWH2 - April 6, 2010
Didn’t look like it. I don’t know what the pitch speed was, but it was over the middle, but below the knees. Needless to say, it looked like a pitch that was meant to induce a groundout.
kalesi - April 6, 2010
I thought it was something like a cut fastball that didn’t cut. It definitely didn’t go where it was meant to.
cbwilk - April 6, 2010
I disagree...
To the back of our Bullpen is exactly where it should have gone.
dragonhawk26 - April 6, 2010
It's pretty amazing
how quick he can get around on an inside pitch. He just didn’t look at all like a 20-year old rookie at the plate.
was385 - April 6, 2010
+1
JKowalek - April 6, 2010 via mobile
The dude has some quick hands. His swing was a fast blur.
Sparhawk - April 6, 2010
I can say this...
my son and I exploded off the couch with such force that we knocked over the sofa table and broke some stupid candlestick thing that my wife was mad about!!
But it was worth it!!
HalleyGator - April 6, 2010
HAHA
Smoltz's Beard - April 6, 2010
AWESOME!
Cammando2317 - April 6, 2010
Anything less than a Pujols-like career will be a major disappointment. Seriosly, he’s 20 years old. Let’s hope that all the hype doesn’t get to him.
That home run was pretty magical, though.
GouldisGold - April 6, 2010
I’d take the Larry Walker comparison.
kalesi - April 6, 2010
That’d be great, that dude was criminally underrated.
Smoltz's Beard - April 6, 2010
BUT HE'S NOT BLACK!!!!
Don’t you know that all comparisons have to be to a player of the same race? That’s just how it is.
was385 - April 6, 2010
Pandamonium!
It was crazy! We sat in left field section 146. Before he stepped into the box I looked at my buddy and said “the legend begins today.” Several people turned around and looked at me. Some snickered and some thought I was crazy. When that chant started it was awesome. All I remember is Zambrano’s pitch and Heyward swinging. I looked at the ball and it was ROCKETED…..HAMMERED. It seemed like it was a million feet in the air at the time it was above the infield. Thats the last I saw. We all knew it was GONE! I jumped around, high fived, and hugged so many people! It was amazing. To see the entire right field section bowing to him when he went out to play RF was awesome. That place was amazing.
BTW, there was a guy in our section that razzed Alfonso ALL GAME! I would not doubt Alfonso went back to the hotel and cried himself to sleep.
McCannsMuscle - April 6, 2010
YES!
I was there in 146, like 2 rows behind that guy. He got kicked out at one point. His best line of the day was “Hey Marlon Byrd, Chicago wants their Pizza back!”
Quilvio Veras - April 6, 2010
Unfortunately i didnt get to see it but I did get a few weird looks as I was screaming driving down the road listening to it on the radio.
With that said, i thought the radio call was much better than the TV announcers call but i can not find audio\Video of it anywhere. anyone else had any luck?
ATL_BUC - April 6, 2010
i would be interested in this as well
but i think it would be pretty hard to come by… someone come to the rescue! i’ll probably spend a few hours looking for it today, haha
lingsched - April 6, 2010
http://braves.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=7282459
Radio Broadcast
http://braves.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=7282459&c_id=atl
TV
I guess they are both pretty good lol.
ATL_BUC - April 6, 2010
BAH link did not work. If you scroll down it is in the video labeled “Braves Power Past Cubs” is the radio broadcast.
ATL_BUC - April 6, 2010
Thanks
That was better I think but both fit the moment
The Real Me - April 6, 2010
I love the last line...
“This stadium is upside down.”
That is a great line.
gondeee - April 6, 2010
Game was awesome, glad I DVR’d it.
ChrisK562 - April 6, 2010
Game is being re-aired on SportsSouth today!
McCannsMuscle - April 6, 2010
I got it dvr’ed as well
JKowalek - April 6, 2010 via mobile
I got chills just reading that ...
Best. Opening Day. Ever.
FrankyWren - April 6, 2010
great fantasy performance for me- Jason Heyward
not so great fantasy performance for me- Carlos Zambrano
I’ll take it 10 times out of 10
Sewanee Braves - April 6, 2010
I have JHey but I’m playing Esco. Oh well.
JKowalek - April 6, 2010 via mobile
I’m 20 years old and have been a Braves fan all my life. I’ve seen 16 games at the TED and watched a countless amount on TV. I can safely say that I have never heard that stadium as loud as when the ball left his bat. As excited I am about his and the teams future, I’m just as pumped at the possibility of having that amount of people that loud 81 times a year.
JKowalek - April 6, 2010 via mobile
The last time i jumped.....
….off the couch was when Kosuke Fukodome hit a walk off HR his first game, “rookie” year…..and that was for fantasy baseball purposes.
This was a wake up call for the entire National League that Heyward is here….and Atlanta is ready!
Get some scrubs!!!
RipHard - April 6, 2010 via mobile
Off Day
Why are those lazy bums not on the field today?
joshmaurer - April 6, 2010
Built in days in case the opening day game is rained out.
dunnytwogloves - April 6, 2010
First I remember thinking… wait.. the Ted is sold out, what?
Then I remember thinking… wait… the Ted is sold out and people are chanting…
Then I remember thinking… wait… the Ted is sold out, people are chanting, and it’s not the Chop.
I was sitting in my room telling my roommate how JayHey was semi sort off supposed to be the savior of Braves baseball… then I remember jumping and yelling a lot. Next thing I remember there were about eight guys from my hall in the room wondering what was going on.
I don’t remember how loud the Ted sounded because I couldn’t hear it over my own yells.
SuperNewb - April 6, 2010
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