Zobrist uses analytical approach
03/05/2006
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Infielder Ben Zobrist has received quite a bit of ribbing this spring, mainly because of his batting stance. Zobrist keeps his body back and his hands low, a la Ted Williams, and Zobrist's teammates have taken note.
"He loves Ted Williams, and who doesn't, if you're a hitter?" Minor League hitting coordinator Sean Berry said.
Actually, the comparisons have more to do with Zobrist's mental approach than the fact that he and Williams are both left-handed hitters with the same stance. Apparently, Zobrist is a rather cerebral hitter, just like Williams.
"He's very analytical about hitting," Berry said. "That's the way Williams was. He really thought about his swings, and Ben definitely analyzes his swings -- thus, the comparisons."
On the move: The Astros are impressed with right-hander Jimmy Barthmaier, who was put on the 40-man roster over the winter and currently is participating in his first big-league Spring Training.
The club has taken particular note of his work ethic and mound presence early in the Grapefruit League season.
"That's something [director of pitching development] Dewey [Robinson] and the staff have really worked on in the last year or so, [improving] his mound presence," assistant general manager Ricky Bennett said. "Not only him, but all the other pitchers in the organization. But that's really stood out."
Barthmaier, 22, played most of the season at Class A Lexington last year, compiling an 11-6 record and a 2.27 ERA over 25 starts.
On the pine: Right-handed pitcher Chance Douglass has been sidelined with a tender elbow, but the club does not expect the injury to linger past a few days.
Name in the game: Joe Slusarski, who pitched for Houston from 1999-2001, is entering his fourth season as a coach in the Astros organization and second as the pitching coach for Double-A Corpus Christi. Under "Slu's" watch last year, the Hooks sent three pitchers to the Texas League All-Star Game, and right-hander Jason Hirsh was named Texas League Pitcher of the Year.
They're No. 1: Left-hander Brian Bogusevic hasn't pitched in a game yet, but he has appeared in simulated situations this spring. Bogusevic, the Astros' No. 1 pick in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, will work heavily on his mechanics this month, which will mark the beginning of his first full year in the Houston organization.
"He's doing a nice job," Bennett said. "This year, coming into camp, we finally started to talk to him about his mechanics and what our plans are for him this spring. Last year, we let him come in and get used to the program. Now, we're taking it to step two and really getting focused on making some adjustments to prepare him for the season."
Class of '05: Bennett has been impressed with outfielder Josh Flores, the fourth-round pick of the 2005 draft. A "big, strong kid," according to Bennett, Flores appears to be solid in both elements of his game.
"He stands out in his uniform, and then when you watch him play, he's got ability defensively and offensively," Bennett said. "We don't have many guys in our system that have the ability to hit for average, hit for power and play average to above average defense. He's a guy that shows those talents. That's what makes him exciting. He plays with a lot of energy and he's got some tools. The ball jumps off his bat."
What they're saying: "He's got a good fastball with very good sink, a good breaking ball that he can throw for strikes and he continues to work on the changeup, which I think down the road can be a very good pitch for him." -- Bennett, on Barthmaier
Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Infielder Ben Zobrist has received quite a bit of ribbing this spring, mainly because of his batting stance. Zobrist keeps his body back and his hands low, a la Ted Williams, and Zobrist's teammates have taken note.
"He loves Ted Williams, and who doesn't, if you're a hitter?" Minor League hitting coordinator Sean Berry said.
Actually, the comparisons have more to do with Zobrist's mental approach than the fact that he and Williams are both left-handed hitters with the same stance. Apparently, Zobrist is a rather cerebral hitter, just like Williams.
"He's very analytical about hitting," Berry said. "That's the way Williams was. He really thought about his swings, and Ben definitely analyzes his swings -- thus, the comparisons."
On the move: The Astros are impressed with right-hander Jimmy Barthmaier, who was put on the 40-man roster over the winter and currently is participating in his first big-league Spring Training.
The club has taken particular note of his work ethic and mound presence early in the Grapefruit League season.
"That's something [director of pitching development] Dewey [Robinson] and the staff have really worked on in the last year or so, [improving] his mound presence," assistant general manager Ricky Bennett said. "Not only him, but all the other pitchers in the organization. But that's really stood out."
Barthmaier, 22, played most of the season at Class A Lexington last year, compiling an 11-6 record and a 2.27 ERA over 25 starts.
On the pine: Right-handed pitcher Chance Douglass has been sidelined with a tender elbow, but the club does not expect the injury to linger past a few days.
Name in the game: Joe Slusarski, who pitched for Houston from 1999-2001, is entering his fourth season as a coach in the Astros organization and second as the pitching coach for Double-A Corpus Christi. Under "Slu's" watch last year, the Hooks sent three pitchers to the Texas League All-Star Game, and right-hander Jason Hirsh was named Texas League Pitcher of the Year.
They're No. 1: Left-hander Brian Bogusevic hasn't pitched in a game yet, but he has appeared in simulated situations this spring. Bogusevic, the Astros' No. 1 pick in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, will work heavily on his mechanics this month, which will mark the beginning of his first full year in the Houston organization.
"He's doing a nice job," Bennett said. "This year, coming into camp, we finally started to talk to him about his mechanics and what our plans are for him this spring. Last year, we let him come in and get used to the program. Now, we're taking it to step two and really getting focused on making some adjustments to prepare him for the season."
Class of '05: Bennett has been impressed with outfielder Josh Flores, the fourth-round pick of the 2005 draft. A "big, strong kid," according to Bennett, Flores appears to be solid in both elements of his game.
"He stands out in his uniform, and then when you watch him play, he's got ability defensively and offensively," Bennett said. "We don't have many guys in our system that have the ability to hit for average, hit for power and play average to above average defense. He's a guy that shows those talents. That's what makes him exciting. He plays with a lot of energy and he's got some tools. The ball jumps off his bat."
What they're saying: "He's got a good fastball with very good sink, a good breaking ball that he can throw for strikes and he continues to work on the changeup, which I think down the road can be a very good pitch for him." -- Bennett, on Barthmaier
Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/
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