Kolten Wong’s key homer creates new — and pleasant — postseason memory
ST. LOUIS — There was nothing Kolten Wong could do to atone for getting picked off first base to end Game 4 of the 2013 World Series. He didn’t get on the field again and the St. Louis Cardinals lost in six games to the Boston Red Sox.
That doesn’t mean he couldn’t grow from the experience, humiliating though it was, and carry it with him forward — in a good way. Put in a position take positive action, Wong hit the deciding home run for the Cardinals in Game 3 of the National League Division Series on Monday night. His two-run blast to the bullpen in right field against left-hander Scott Elbert in the seventh inning was the turning point in a 3-1 victory that gave St. Louis a 2-1 series advantage on the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Wong displayed plenty of emotion rounding the bases, from the satisfied bat flip to practically skipping into the dugout like a little kid. He topped it off with a business-like salute from a high step in the dugout after fans asked for a curtain call.
“As you know, last year (in the World Series) didn’t go as planned,” Wong said. “Definitely getting back (to the playoffs), I was really excited about it. And to finally contribute to this team and finally do something special is exciting for me.”
Wong, 23, didn’t have a spectacular first full season in the majors, batting .249 with a .292 on-base and .388 slugging percentage, but he did hit 12 home runs 433 plate appearances, and still projects to be a very good everyday player eventually. Wong’s size (listed at 5-foot-9, 185 pounds) belies the punch that he can pack. He also was strong against lefties, batting .315 with a .466 slugging percentage and three homers in 76 plate appearances during the regular season.
Wong also has a fan in Dodgers manager Don Mattingly:
“For me, he’s dangerous,” Mattingly said. “He’s got bat speed. He [holds the bat] low. He’s a dangerous cat for me. He’s got bat speed and he can hit a fastball, for sure. You’ve still got to get the ball to certain parts of the plate and we haven’t been able to do it.”
Wong said it took a while to get himself back in the right frame of mind after Koji Uehara picked him off with Carlos Beltran batting, and the Cards down two runs, during Game 4 of the Series. Such a moment would have been a bummer for anybody. Cards manager Mike Matheny said Wong let it bother him too much.
“He got picked off. That happens,” Matheny said. “That happens to everybody. It just happened on a bigger stage for him. And really, it was just a quick lesson and you move on. He takes that stuff a little too hard.”
The mistake has become part of Wong’s foundation.
“That pickoff crushed me for a long time throughout the offseason,” Wong said. “But it was something that I definitely look back and — I’m not thankful for it — but I know it made me stronger as a person and as a player. To go through that my first time in the big leagues was definitely tough. Everything else is a walk in the park, once you go through something like that.”
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David Brown is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter!
