Riaan Kukhona ama-Kenny Washington amabili endaweni I-UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame.
Owayedume kakhulu kwakuyi-barrier-breaking, i-trailblazer yemidlalo emithathu. Wayengumdlali we-baseball weqembu likaJackie Robinson ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yama-1930s, isivumelwano sokuqala se-All-American emlandweni wohlelo lwebhola, kwathi ngo-1946, engomunye wabadlali abane abamnyama ukuhlanganisa kabusha iNational Soccer League.
Omunye ushiye elakhe ifa likaBruins elikhumbulekayo emashumini ambalwa eminyaka kamuva.
Ngawo-1960s, ukuthi iWashington yayihamba phambili emaqenjini amabili okuqala e-basketball kaJohn Wooden ayi-10. Ubenokudlala okudumile kwamaphuzu angama-26 kumdlalo wesihloko we-1964.
Ngemuva komsebenzi omfushane we-pro, uWashington wabuyela UCLA ngawo-1970 njengomqeqeshi oyinhloko weqembu labesifazane le-basketball.
Futhi, ngo-2005, wangeniswa e-Hall of Fame yezemidlalo yesikole, wahlonishwa ngesikhathi somcimbi wasekampasi obuhanjelwe ezinye izithonjana zama-Bruins – kanye nelungu elilodwa lomndeni wakhe elisanda kuzalwa.
Kudala ngaphambili Jason Heyward kwaba ukukhetha komzuliswano wokuqala I-Atlanta Bravesumpetha we-MLB All-Star ne-World Series, noma umakadebona wasemuva manje odlala indima ebalulekile iqembu lokuqala le-Dodgerswayengumdlali we-baseball ophuma phambili esikoleni samabanga aphezulu, elangazelela ukulandela ezinyathelweni zikamalume wakhe aye ngaphesheya kwezwe.
Ubaba ka-Heyward, u-Eugene, ungumshana ka-Washington. Ngemva kokuchitha ubuntwana bakhe eSouth Carolina, u-Eugene wayehlala nomalume wakhe eLos Angeles esemncane, eqeda isikole samabanga aphezulu ngaphambi kokuyodlala ibhola lezinyawo eDartmouth University (lapho ahlangana khona nomama kaHeyward, uLaura).
Yize abazali baka-Heyward bagcina bezinze eGeorgia, lapho afunda khona esikoleni samabanga aphezulu eningizimu ye-Atlanta, u-Heyward wayevakashela e-LA noyise ekhula – ikakhulukazi, ngenxa yokwethulwa kwe-Washington’s Hall of Fame ngaphambi nje kokuqala kwesizini ye-baseball encane ka-Heyward. .
U-Heyward, umdlali wangaphandle omude, owayevele engowokugijima, wayesevele ehlonishwa kakhulu ngaleso sikhathi, efaka isithakazelo ezikoleni ezifana neClemson ne-Georgia Tech, kodwa lolo hambo lwango-2005 lwayisa i-UCLA phezulu ohlwini lwakhe.
U-Jason Heyward ugwema ukukhonjwa indlela ngumdlali we-St. Louis Cardinals u-Wilson Contreras njengoba eshelela ekhaya phakathi nomdlalo ngoMeyi 21.
(UJeff Roberson / Associated Press)
Futhi ukube bekungengenxa yesethi ephelele yezimo zobungcweti – lapho izwe lakubo iBraves limbhalela indawo yesi-14 ngo-2007 – ngabe ubengumfundi omkhulu olandelayo we-UCLA emndenini wakhe.
“Bekubonakala kuyindawo enhle,” kusho u-Heyward. “Umoya omuhle ongakhulela kuwo.”
Njengoba ebuyela e-Atlanta kuleli sonto, lapho amaDodgers uthathe imidlalo emibili kwemithathu kusukela ku-Braves, u-Heyward ucabange ngalezo zinsuku zakuqala, ekhumbula inqubo eyacishe yaholela abantu baseGeorgia ukuthi babhalise e-UCLA.
Ngemva konyaka wokwethulwa kweHall of Fame kamalume wakhe omkhulu, u-Heyward wabuyela ekhempasini ukuyovakasha ngokusemthethweni.
Uhlabeke umxhwele ngomqeqeshi UJohn Savage, owayesanda kuqala umsebenzi ohlotshisiwe manje ngesizini yawo ye-19. Wazihlanganisa nomphathi wakhe, uBrandon Crawford, owayesanda kuqala kulelo qembu laseBruins osedlala isizini yakhe ye-13 ye-MLB neSan Francisco Giants. Waze washaywa wumoya we-Rose Bowl, ngemuva kokuyobuka omunye wemidlalo yebhola ye-UCLA.
“Ukuphuma lapho, ngihlangane nomqeqeshi uSavage, ngivakasha, ngibona ikhampasi, kusobala ukuthi bekuyinhle,” kusho u-Heyward.
Ngakho-ke, ekuqaleni konyaka wakhe omkhulu esikoleni esiphakeme, wanika abakwaBruins ukuzibophezela kwakhe ekolishi.
Lapho u-Heyward ehlaba umxhwele ngokwengeziwe ama-scouts e-MLB aholela kokusalungiswa, kwaba nzima nakakhulu isinqumo sakhe.
Kwakukhona ama-franchise amaningana anezikhethi zakuqala ezibonise isithakazelo ku-Heyward, kusukela ku-Kansas City Royals ku-No. 2 kuya e-Florida Marlins ku-No. isibambiso ephaketheni lakhe elingemuva uma kwenzeka.
Indawo eyodwa eyaba nomqondo ophelele kwakungamaBraves, ayebambezeleka ekukhetheni inombolo 14.
“Uma lokhu kwenzeka,” ezitshela uHeyward, “angicabangi ukuthi sikhona isizathu sokuya esikoleni.”
I-Atlanta Braves Rookie uJason Heyward ngesikhathi somdlalo wosuku lokuvula weqembu libhekene neChicago Cub eTurner Field e-Atlanta ngo-Ephreli 5, 2010.
(I-Rich Addicks / Associated Press)
Bheka futhi, ukukhetha kwakhe kokugcina kwakulula. AbakwaBraves bakhethe uHeyward bamsayinisa inkontileka ka-$1.7-million. Naphezu kokunamathela kwakhe ku-UCLA, wayeka ukufaneleka kwakhe ekolishi ngenkathi eseneminyaka eyi-17 kuphela.
“Kwakungafani nokuthi ngidinga isisindo esiningi,” kukhumbula u-Heyward.
Ngisho noSavage, owachaza kabanzi ngenqubo kwinhlolokhono yango-2010ahluleke ukuzibamba avume.
“Ubezoba ngumdlali omncane omuhle, akungabazeki,” kusho umqeqeshi ngaleso sikhathi, ngaphambi kwesizini ka-Heyward ye-MLB yokuqala. Kodwa, u-Savage wanezela, “Leso isibonelo esisodwa somfana owenze isinqumo esifanele.”
Okunye kube umlando.
U-Heyward uqede isibili ku-Rookie of the Year ukuvota ngenkathi ethola ukuhlonishwa kwe-All-Star ngo-2010, futhi waqhakaza njengomdlali wasemuva we-Gold Glove emaqenjini e-Braves alandela isizini engapheli.
Ngo-2016, akagcinanga ngokuwina i-World Series nama-Chicago Cub kodwa wethula a Inkulumo edumile ye-Game 7 lokho kwasiza ekuqedeni isomiso salelo qembu seminyaka engu-108.
Kulo nyaka, ngemuva kokuza ku-Dodgers ngesivumelwano esincane seligi ku-offseason, oneminyaka engu-33 ubudala uphinde wavuselela umdlalo wakhe, eshaya u-.228 ngama-run ayisihlanu asekhaya, ama-RBI angu-11 kanye nesilinganiso esiphezulu seligi engu-.807 ku-base. -plus-slugging iphesenti.
Ekugcineni umzuzu we-LA baseball ake waphupha ngawo; kuphela, kuyeza eminyakeni eyi-16 ngemuva kokuthi izinhlelo zakhe zokulandela izibopho zomndeni ku-UCLA zithathe indlela ehlukile.
Ebuzwa kuleli sonto ukuthi ngabe kwenzekeni ukube abakwaBraves bamdlulisele kulolu hlaka, futhi wafika nelinye iqembu elingafaneleki kangako, u-Heyward wacabanga ngesisindo sokuthi-uma, ecabanga emuva ezinsukwini ayebonakala emiselwe ukuba yiBruin.
“Angazi,” esho. “Bekuzoba nzima ukwenqaba umzuliswano wokuqala ngaleso sikhathi. Kwakunomsebenzi onzima omningi ozayo. Udlala imidlalo yesikole samabanga aphezulu ngokumelene nabafana baseFlorida, eCalifornia, ubona abadlali abaningi bebhola abahle ngempela. Futhi awazi ukuthi uzophinde ulithole yini leli thuba.”
Kodwa, wengeza, okungenani okunye okuluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka nokusagolide okusagcwele enhliziyweni yakhe, “kubonakala njengethuba elihle.”
