Spring Training

I spent a couple of days in the Phoenix area last week, and took the opportunity to visit the Seattle Mariners training camp. These are some of the pictures I took there.

The major league squad only took some batting practice, and (sorry Lizzie) did not look very impressive.  The one exception was Jesus Montero, the guy they go in the Michael Pineda trade (seen in the cage above). I guess their workouts were limited because they were headed somewhere else to play a game that afternoon.

The major leaguers only practiced for about ninety minutes, but there were four other diamonds filled with minor leaguers running through various drills too. Some were taking infield practice, pitchers were practicing handling bunts off the mound, catchers throwing to different bases.

I know it looks like this coach was instructing the guys on how to pick their noses, but they are actually pitchers getting ready to handle some bunts.

 

Although there was a lot going on, there was also quite a bit of standing around, as you can see above.  It was a very low-key morning, things moved very slow for us spectators (there were about twenty or thirty folks wandering around like me).  But it was a good kind of dull, with the sound of balls hitting leather, and bats hitting balls floating through the air... 

 

 

The morning workout ended with an intra-squad game,and I hate to say it, but it was a very sloppy affair.  Obviously it didn't count for anything, but the pitchers were getting lit up, the fielders were dropping balls and the whole thing kind of reminded me of little league.  Sorry Mariners fans. Of course, it was early in the Spring, so I probably shouldn't judge. Maybe they'll pull it all together by the time the season starts.