With the Corridor of Fame’s basic cream-colored jersey and an identical cap on, Jeff Kent seemed out into the gang on the Winter Conferences and requested Buster Posey, the Giants’ president of baseball operations, if he’d be allowed to put on a special hat as a possible visitor teacher at spring coaching.
“Posey, can I wear a Yankees hat at spring training?” requested the previous second baseman, who starred for San Francisco from 1997-2002 and was elected to the Baseball Corridor of Fame on Dec. 7.
The previous MVP made the humorous inquiry as a result of his son, Kaeden, is now a pinstriped prospect. The Yankees drafted the youthful Kent out of Texas A&M within the third spherical of this yr’s draft. The 22-year-old shortstop, who has additionally performed second and third base, hit .186 with two dwelling runs and 17 RBI for Excessive-A Hudson Valley in his introduction to professional ball.
Requested for a scouting report on his child, Jeff shortly replied, “He can’t be as good as me.” He then seized a chance to reset the bar of expectations for Kaeden.
“He always thought he could be better than me because he’s always said, ‘Dad, you’re not in the Hall of Fame,’” mentioned Jeff, who earned election through the Modern Baseball Period poll. “So after [the Hall of Fame] call, I hugged him and said, ‘Good luck.’”
As for that scouting report, Jeff mentioned that he’s at all times pressured the significance of going the opposite means on the plate — one thing he “failed at early in my career” — to his son. Jeff, whose 377 dwelling runs are essentially the most ever from somebody who performed not less than two-thirds of their video games at second base, didn’t need Kaeden to hit for energy rising up, even when that damage his standing as an newbie prospect.
Kaeden, thought-about the Twelfth-best prospect within the Yankees’ system by MLB.com, totaled simply 5 dwelling runs over his first two seasons at Texas A&M earlier than crushing 13 this yr.
“One of the knocks that he had before he got drafted by the Yankees, he didn’t have a lot of power,” Jeff mentioned. “And he was talked about out of highschool, too, a variety of doubles, however no energy. I used to be within the background attempting to not be his agent — I used to be saying, ‘There’s a purpose he doesn’t have energy. Belief me, belief me. He’ll have energy.’ However the different factor is he can go the opposite means, go together with the ball. He’s just a little cussed proper now as a result of he desires to be an enormous leaguer as a result of he’s with the Yankees.
“That would be the scouting report. He can take the ball, keep his hands inside the ball, and go to all fields. And he’s not intimidated. He’s got a little prick [to him] like me, but he’s a lot like his mother sitting right here, too. So there’s some good in him, not just all the bad.”
Throughout a current look on the YES Community’s “Yankees Hot Stove,” Kaeden known as his father’s scouting report “accurate,” together with the half about him being cussed.
Requested about beforehand poking enjoyable at his dad for not being in Cooperstown, Kaeden added that he must brainstorm new methods to take pictures at him. He appears to get pleasure from busting his father’s chops, as he’s already joked that he received’t be attending Jeff’s Corridor of Fame induction ceremony on July 26, as he’ll be busy taking part in for one of many Yankees’ associates.
In all seriousness, Kaeden is hoping to get the break day.
“That’s super special,” he mentioned, “and I can’t say how proud I am of him.”
With Kaeden now following in Corridor of Fame footsteps, he didn’t need to put a timeline on when he could make his main league debut. That’s nonetheless years away, so Kaeden would reasonably concentrate on the current.
“You can’t really think too far ahead in this game, cause it will bite you in the butt,” he mentioned. “You possibly can’t be wishing for one thing far-off.
“Hopefully, if I keep stacking those days, then it’ll all pay off for me in the future.”
