It was 2010. Jason Heyward was baseball’s No. 1 prospect. In spring training, he launched baseballs that pelted cars parked behind the outfield fence at Disney’s Wide World of Sports. He was from McDonough. He was big, strong and fast. He was wise beyond his tender years. Crusty folks who’d seen it all had seen nothing like him, at least not in a while.
Opening day arrived. Turner Field was packed for Heyward’s debut. During batting practice, he conferred with Hank Aaron. Five of the first six Braves to face the Cubs’ Carlos Zambrano reached base. Heyward came to bat with two on and one out.
On his first big-league swing – he’d taken two pitches, neither a strike – Heyward lined a fastball over the right-field fence. He didn’t pause to admire his work. His head down, he dashed around the bases. He was low-fived by third-base coach Brian Snitker, high-fived by Brian McCann and hugged by Chipper Jones.
