Right off the bat, the St. Louis Cardinals get an early showdown against the Chicago Cub at Wrigley Field, and the Major League Baseball season-opener will be televised at 2 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2, putting Hilo’s Kolten Wong in the spotlight once again.
The last time the bright lights shined, Wong had an October to remember. The St. Louis second baseman and 2008 Kamehameha graduate clubbed three home runs and seven extra-base hits, and had an .833 slugging percentage in the National League championship series.
Last year, Wong, 24, batted .249 with 12 homers and 42 RBIs in 113 games and 433 at-bats during the regular season. He had a .292 on-base percentage and .388 slugging percentage.
Wong was optioned back to Triple A to refine his swing, then later suffered a shoulder injury. When he returned from the disabled list, the former UH Rainbow had dynamite in his bat, and blasted 11 homers in July.
During the offseason, Mark Ellis retired and the Cardinals didn’t sign anyone in free agency to be Wong’s back-up, a nod that the organization is giving him the full-time job.
“My mindset is to stay healthy and try to be consistent,” Wong said in a phone interview. “I want to improve on my consistency the most, and try not to be such an up-and-down player, and stay on an incline.”
During his three years at UH, where he played center field and second base, Wong bulked up with weight lifting, and his 5-foot-9 frame carried 190 pounds of solid muscle.
He’s now about 185 pounds, more flexible and on a nutritional meal program designed by the Cardinals. In the old days, unhealthy hamburgers and clubhouse sandwiches were the postgame meal.
“I think that’s how the game is now. Everyone is doing it,” Wong said about eating healthy. “I’ve learned how to get my body ready for a full season, and learned what I need to do to keep me on the field.
“I had to stay on my workouts to keep my body strong, and I think that’s what helped me last year during the postseason.”
NL Central dogfight
The Cardinals are the only team to appear in a League Championship Series in the last four seasons, but the NL Central looks tougher than ever.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have reached the postseason in back-to-back years. They’re led by NL MVP Andrew McCutchen, and flame-throwing ace right-hander Gerrit Cole.
The Milwaukee Brewers were in first place for most of the season until fading late, largely because of a major slump by Ryan Braun, who hit just .226 after the All-Star break with one homer in September.
However, the 2011 NL MVP had thumb surgery after the season, so a rebound seems likely for him and the Brew Crew.
The Cincinnati Reds lost the NL Wild Card game to the Pirates in 2013, and fell to the San Francisco Giants in the NL Divisional Series in 2012. But the Reds aren’t everyone’s favorite World Series pick.
It’s the Chicago Cubs. Seriously? They last won a World Series in 1908, and endure the Curse of the Billy Goat. (Google it, if you’re a Cubs fan and unaware.) But a new manager in Joe Maddon and Jon Lester with his $155 million golden arm will shoot expectations over the moon, where a cow was recently seen jumping.
Spring training is finally over. Sunday night baseball is on the tube. And it’s time to play ball.
“We’ll just play and let our playing do the talking,” said Wong, quite aware about the noise surrounding the Cubs. “They are going to be a good team. We know what we have and are excited with our team.”
