Look, it's hard enough to be a rookie in the majors. But to have to shoulder the burden of being the guy who brings interest in baseball back to the African-American community is taking this a bit too far.
Meanwhile, I do get it—Heyward is a very talented young black player coming along at a time when Major League Baseball is trying to encourage more African-American participation in baseball.
But there are other good, young black players in baseball that can help carry that mantle if it does indeed need to be carried.
Don't force it on a rookie; they have enough trouble just living up to expectations, especially at the tender age of 20.
We have CC Sabathia, Justin Upton, and Ryan Howard, among others, doing great things on a baseball diamond.
Why is Heyward being anointed as The Next Big Thing?
Well, Atlanta is a black city, for one thing. It is a great city, and it is also a city that has a large black population.
Still, give the kid a break.
He is very, very young and, despite a good start, will have to deal with the inevitable struggles of a rookie major league hitter. To compound those struggles with this addit...
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