A baseball club is more than just what happens on the field.
The Cleveland Guardians prepared a special day for a local high school chess team, featuring a couple of players from the major league roster: outfielder Steven Kwan and catcher Austin Hedges.
“Was that a Scotch Opening?” The 12th and 13th Nationally ranked John Marshall High School Chess Team from @CLEMetroSchools brought their boards to the ballpark for Chess Club with @skwanzaa and @austinhedges18. Which Guardians player do you think held their own?” the official account of the Guardians’ community ventures tweeted.
The funniest part was one of the replies from the same account, answering the original question with the following remark: “It wasn’t Hedges.”
… It wasn't Hedges.
— CLE Inspires (@CLEInspires) June 29, 2022
Kwan Has Settled In As An Above-Average Offensive Performer
Whether Kwan dominated Hedges on the boards or not, it was a cool gesture by the team to hang out with the kids and play chess, one of the best games the world has ever known.
Kwan, the early-season darling around the league thanks to his incredible performance in the first couple of weeks, already slumped and then made some adjustments to be the above-average hitter he currently is.
He is slashing .279/.365/.358 with one home run and four stolen bases: power is definitely limited, but his plate discipline and on-base ability make him a very good hitter, especially for the top of the lineup.
Hedges, on the other hand, relies on his defense to find playing time.
It is very good: unfortunately, as his .494 OPS proves, he is not much of a threat with the bat.
In any case, both are important contributors for the Guardians, on and off the field.
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