Phillies second baseman/shortstop/third baseman/outfielder Scott Kingery has gotten off to a solid start this season after the surprising deal he inked near the close of spring training launched his Major League career a few weeks sooner than we initially expected. His expedited debut has proved to a be wise move for the Phillies, as Kingery’s versatility and offensive skillset have instantly made him a fan favorite. Something tells me that what he did in the eighth inning of tonight’s game against the Reds is only going to help his budding popularity.

With the Phillies clinging to a 2-1 lead, the Reds intentionally walked last night’s hero, Nick Williams, to load the bases for Kingery. That decision proved to be ill-advised:

BOOM! He will have none of your disrespect.

You know what I love about this, besides everything? I love that Kingery was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts prior to this at-bat. The Reds probably figured, “This kid looks overmatched. Let’s get him.” So much for that. He shook off a few poor plate appearances, dusted off his cleats, and proceeded to lift a middle finger to the Cincinnati dugout in the form of a 374-foot bomb into the left field seats. That’s good shit.

Kingery’s grand slam sort of reminds me of Chase Utley’s first Major League hit:

Sure, Kingery’s slam wasn’t his first hit, or even his first home run, but something tells me that we might be seeing replays of this one years from now as our love affair with him hits full bloom.