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Catching up with Buckeye product, D-back slugger Kole Calhoun
From testing positive for COVID to leading team in homers
Posted
Being able to put on the jersey that I grew up loving, and loved watching this team play as a kid, now I get to be a part of it and do some things that I always really dreamed about growing up.”
His return to Arizona has been as unpredictable for Kole Calhoun as anyone’s 2020.
After growing up in Buckeye, the nine-year MLB veteran, like all players, waited to see if there would even be a season. He tested positive for COVID-19, was thankfully asymptomatic, was cleared to return after two negative tests in July, and, just like that, is leading the Arizona Diamondbacks in home runs (7) and RBIs (18).
The right fielder is a true Arizona baseball product.
After emerging as a prospect at Buckeye Union High School (where he also played a year of varsity football at quarterback), Mr. Calhoun played for Yavapai Community College in Prescott from 2006 to 2008, where he earned All-American honors during a tenure that saw him bat .361 while collecting 32 doubles and 19 home runs. He then batted .317 in two years at Arizona State, where he homered in seven of his final eight games at Packard Stadium.
A stellar pro career with the Los Angeles Angels paved the way for the 32-year-old to return home and sign as a free agent with the Diamondbacks in December 2019.
The 2015 Gold Glove winner, who is 12 games away from his 1,000th career MLB game, caught up with The Buckeye Independent for a little Q&A:
Q: We all know how coronavirus has impacted the season. What is one encouraging element about the current structure as it relates to managing your game?
A: “I think it’s just everything is helping us stay safe. The cleanliness and the mask-wearing and the social distancing has given all of us the opportunity to stay on the field. So that’s probably the one spot that helped everybody’s game is that we’re staying safe and staying healthy and we’re able to put on a game every night.”
Q: A highlight-reel catch in right field against the Dodgers, an inside-the-park homer, and a walk-off. How has it felt being back in Arizona so far?
A: “It’s cool, it really is. Being able to put on the jersey that I grew up loving, and loved watching this team play as a kid, now I get to be a part of it and do some things that I always really dreamed about growing up. To be able to impact this team and be able to come out and play every day has been awesome and one thing that I always wanted to happen. To be able to live it right now is really cool.”
Q: You threw 23 touchdowns and almost 2,900 yards as a senior quarterback at Buckeye Union High School. What elements of football can you bring to baseball?
A: “Maybe the mentality, the toughness that it takes to go out and play baseball every single day. I think football can teach you a lot of life lessons along those lines. It was something that I just did. It was fun in high school. Baseball was always my passion but I definitely learned a lot from my coaches there, and that stuff really sticks with you as you grow.”
Q: Three of your homers this season have come with two strikes. How is your mental approach at the plate different when there’s no strikes versus two strikes?
A: “Obviously nobody wants to strike out. You try to put the ball in play. Strikeouts happen, and I think a lot of guys really focus on that too much. I think when you get to two strikes you miss some opportunities to actually be the hitter that you are. There was a quote, ‘Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game,’ and I think I took that to heart. Sometimes you’re gonna strike out, but sometimes you’re gonna put a good swing on it and change the game.”
Steve Stockmar has been with the Independent Newsmedia team since 2017. An NAU alum and Peoria resident, Steve’s community journalism pursuits focus mostly on arts & culture, education, and profiles of neighbors making a difference. In his spare time Steve plays in a vintage baseball league using uniforms and rules from the 1860s, and also acts (badly) in community theater. In addition, he has an unhealthy obsession with baseball and the Chicago Cubs.
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