Eric Hosmer: Baseball’s next great superstar

Posted on April 12, 2012

Eric Hosmer #35 of the Kansas City Royals slides home safely during the game against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at The Coliseum in Oakland, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin/MLB Photos)

 

Yesterday afternoon’s ballgame in Oakland was one of those wonderfully fun days that I love so much. I was getting paid to photograph a baseball game, it wasn’t raining, and I was shooting the best young player I have seen in a long time: Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer. I first photographed Hosmer during spring training on February 27, 2011 at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona. The big left-handed swinger was one of the great new prospects the Royals had brought to big league camp. It appears that everyone’s projections were correct as the kid hit .293 in 523 at bats last year while knocking in 78 runs and belting 19 homers. The first round pick (3rd overall) of the 2008 amateur draft looks like he will be around for a long time, and he is so much fun to shoot. I am jealous of the photographers in Kansas City who will be able to shot him ever day.

Because of Hosmer and other young players like Alex Gordon, Mike Moustakas, and Salvador Perez the Royals are right on the cusp of becoming a terrific young team. Over the years the Royals have brought up some great home-grown talent like Johnny Damon, Jermaine Dye, and Zack Greinke. However, they have always let them get away before their primes, resulting in a long tradition of losing seasons that have made the talent-rich championship clubs of the 1970’s and 1980’s seem like ancient history. The young nucleus of talent they have right now might be what they need to finally put together a winning campaign.

I had so much fun shooting Hosmer and his Royals teammates yesterday that I was mad when I drove home. Why was I mad? Because this was the only trip to Oakland for the Royals this season. I will not have another chance to shoot them in 2012! For the rest of the season I will keep an extra eye out for Royals highlights on television and for their games on my MLB TV package.

If yesterday’s game in Oakland was any indication of how much fun I will have shooting in 2012 it is going to be a great year. On deck I have the San Francisco Giants home opener tomorrow afternoon at AT&T Park. I can’t wait!