Right? If a picture is worth 1,000 words ... That ring you see is the 2011 Eastern League championship bling. Tweeps @Spookylish and @CanAsianMe borrowed the ring from team photographer Kevin Littlefield. Not sure if they gave it back. KL's photos:
Friday, March 16, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Barrelling up with Jose Bautista
Spring training 2012 was off the heazy. For two weeks, we traveled up and down Florida's West Coast and watched a whole lot of Blue Jays, Phillies, Pirates, Rays and Red Sox. One of my favorite moments was a sit- down interview with Jose Bautista at his locker in Dunedin. "Yeah, you better talk to him," Blue Jays coach Luis Rivera said as I pulled up a chair. I told Joey Bats a little about myself and how we've both played at Fenway Park. (Media Game for me.) I joked about helping him out with his swing, and it was a comfortable session. Rivera later said, "You need to break that interview into about three pieces so you get three good stories out of it." LOL. Here is some audio from when we talked about hitting and the day Bautista was traded for a player to be named later, Robinzon Diaz.
"I was the same guy (in 2008), confident in my ability, looking for an opportunity to play,"he said. "If anything, that's what has changed. At the same time, I had a hitting approach that didn't fit in at the organization with the Pirates. For me, it was a big break and a big relief when I got traded, not because I wanted to leave because I didn't, but when I got here, I found out their hitting philosophy adjusted to my style of play a lot more. They let me go out there and let my ability take over, which was great for my career. They gave me the confidence and opportunity" ... This part of the interview, audio only, begins with his aggressive approach and setup as a hitter:
"I was the same guy (in 2008), confident in my ability, looking for an opportunity to play,"he said. "If anything, that's what has changed. At the same time, I had a hitting approach that didn't fit in at the organization with the Pirates. For me, it was a big break and a big relief when I got traded, not because I wanted to leave because I didn't, but when I got here, I found out their hitting philosophy adjusted to my style of play a lot more. They let me go out there and let my ability take over, which was great for my career. They gave me the confidence and opportunity" ... This part of the interview, audio only, begins with his aggressive approach and setup as a hitter:
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Voracious meat eaters unite
Travis Snider and Eric Thames have lockers on opposite sides of the clubhouse in Dunedin. There's a middle row of lockers dividing the sluggers that might as well represent Blue Jays Nation. There is Camp Snider (209 votes on our poll) and Camp Thames (117 votes). Lunch Box Hero backers are feeling pretty good right now, following another homer today by the voracious meat eater. "I like Eric Thames, I really do, but I hope Travis wins the LF job," tweeted @rallycap_andy. I admire how both outfielders are handling this day-to-day race. Thames on the job hunt: "When it's time to play, it's all business. There are no hard feeling whether he wins or I win. We both know that, hey, it's the business side of what we do," he said.
When I asked him about his swing and seemingly patient approach right now, he said, "Swing-wise, I feel great. I'm just trying to get my eyes to adjust. There have been pitches I thought were a foot off the plate, but they were right on the black. Right now, I'm just looking to get more at-bats to let my eyes adjust and start picking up spins and getting more comfortable."
Thames also complimented Snider, saying, "He's a great clubhouse guy and a great teammmate."
When I asked him about his swing and seemingly patient approach right now, he said, "Swing-wise, I feel great. I'm just trying to get my eyes to adjust. There have been pitches I thought were a foot off the plate, but they were right on the black. Right now, I'm just looking to get more at-bats to let my eyes adjust and start picking up spins and getting more comfortable."
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| Kevin Littlefield/Staff |
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Breaking down Snider's swing
A tantalizing Travis Snider homered against the Pirates on Wednesday and threw out another base runner, his third assist of the spring. A day earlier, however, he struck out three times against the Phillies and left my sun-tanning Blue Jays friends (hey, there, nice to finally meet you) shaking their heads in Dunedin, Fla. After the game, I talked with Snider about his evolving swing and the ongoing quest to find his timing -- and the battle with Eric Thames. It's early, I know, and spring training is all about regaining your rhythm at the plate. There's another hitting coach in the picture, too. Snider is focusing on quieting his hands, seeing the ball deeper into the strike zone and "not pulling off" breaking pitches. We chatted for 10 minutes on the topic. Before turning on my voice recorder, I asked him why his swing has a tendency to be late to contact.
"You said it, the timing. In the past, I've had a lot move movement," he said. "I've started simplifying things with my hands and my 'gather' or 'load.' There are different ways to describe it, but it's all about making sure I'm on time to recognize the pitch, make the proper adjustment if necessary and hit the baseball." ... We talked about today's swing compared, to say, 2009:
"I started off mechanically great (in 2009) and fell off and got into some bad habits. Ever since then, it's been a matter of trying to figure out what's going to work for the long term instead of trying to find a Band-Aid to fix it," he said. "The biggest difference, I'd say, is where I start my hands and simplifying the movement and not having so much room to travel with my hands and getting into slot ... I'm working on waiting back on off-speed (pitches) without completely pulling off the baseball." ... Here's a look at one swing sequence against the Phillies:
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| Kevin Littlefield/Staff |
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