A Breed Apart

Next up on Kerrigan's agenda is fine-tuning that changeup. But he sees even bigger things for Ohlendorf in the future. "Growing up I was a big fan of Bill Bradley," says Kerrigan. "Ross reminds me of the things I read about Bradley—very intelligent, very much an old-school gentleman, well-mannered, great competitor, loves the spotlight. I could see this guy down the line being a United States senator, I really can."

While conceding that anything is possible, Ohlendorf downplays such talk, saying he went to Washington to learn about agriculture and the governmental process, not to get into partisan politics. But Vilsack—a former governor of Iowa who briefly ran for president in 2008—thinks Kerrigan might be on to something. "Ross has got a very solid base from which to approach politics," Vilsack says. "[Raising longhorns] is a business that's not easy, so he'd be sympathetic and empathetic to small-business owners. The sky's the limit."

"But first," Vilsack adds, "I hope he wins the Cy Young for the Pirates."

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