Leave a team either in free agency or via a trade and you’re bound to take a parting shot. Even if the statement isn’t intended as such, it’s still usually going to come across as sour grapes which is essentially the reaction being directed towards St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jason Heyward.
Earlier this past offseason the Atlanta Braves shockingly traded Heyward to the Cardinals after the five-tool outfielder was only showing off a few rusty tools instead. The reason behind that? The Braves, at least according to Heyward who says Atlanta limited his power by batting him leadoff.
When describing how stymied he felt at times batting leadoff for the Atlanta Braves, Gold Glove-winning outfielder Jason Heyward borrowed an analogy from the field. It’s playing long toss and really wanting to cut loose with a full-strength throw but having to hit a target 90 feet away.
“You feel like there’s a governor on you and you’re not letting it ride,” Heyward said. “You have to think of other ways.”
While there might be some truth to this and the job of a leadoff hitter is to set the table, Heyward wasn’t exactly pretending to be Otis Nixon either.
Whatever the case, it’s likely we’ve seen the last of Jason Heyward the leadoff hitter as the Cardinals want him in the middle of their lineup. Will his power return?
