8-Year Old Baseball Phenom: Bo Ryan Kahn

Promising Youth Shows Up The Older Talent At Jay Bruce Baseball Camp

By Ryan Bramwell

Bo Kahn, an 8-year old boy from southern Indiana loves the game of baseball.  He has a true passion for the game.  And it is real.  It's tangible.  Yes, he enjoys most sports like other boys his age, but man does he love baseball.  I have been lucky enough to see him play organized games and he does not disappoint.  If you could label a ballplayer as young as Bo as a five-tool prospect, then you would do so.  He can run, he can hit, hit for power, field, and throw.  When I was his age, I could field and throw.  I was never a good hitter until I started seeing faster pitches in pony league.  Bo, however is a tremendous hitter.  When you watch his approach, his stance and his swing I swear it is just like watching a miniature MLB player at the plate.  And to be honest, a lot of professional ballplayers don't even have the patience and dedication to improving their swing as much as Bo does.  It's fun to watch him play in his youth little league games because he gobbles up every ball and pop up, fields every grounder within 20 feet of him and makes hard, accurate throws to first base or wherever the play needs to happen.  He's made throws to first base from his knees at shortstop that kids twice as old would have a difficult time performing.  All the parents and kids on the other teams know him by name just because of his talent. I have never seen a boy as young as Bo show the recognition or "baseball IQ" like he does.  Whereas other players on his team will be scuffling around or be so caught up in the moment on a play that they miss an opportunity for a double play.  Nothing gets by Bo.  He has a mind for the game.  An intangible quality he has is his desire to win, always.  He can go 5-for-5 in a game with a home run, a slew of RBIs, and many putouts in the field; but if the team loses, he puts the burden on his own shoulders.  Pete Rose, the game's greatest competitor says there are three tips he gives to ballplayers who seek his advice.  Those tips are: 1. Be aggressive, 2. Be more aggressive, 3. Never be satisfied.  Nobody had a desire to win more than Peter Edward Rose.  Bo Kahn has that desire as well.  His father, Ryan, just took Bo to the Jay Bruce Camp.  Ryan was told by some of the camp instructors that "that kid is going to have his own camp someday."  He outshined all the kids his age despite having a smaller frame.  When he hits his first big growth spurt everybody better watch out.  He truly is a special kid.  I am proud to be his uncle.  He is well-mannered, sweet, and extremely talented at the game he loves.  I am truly excited to see what he can become as a baseball player.  He told his dad yesterday that all he wants to do when he grows up is be a professional baseball player.  A lot of us had that dream.  But with Bo's abilities he might be able to actually make his dream come true.