In which the author recounts the events of Sunday afternoon’s baseball game between the Cleveland Indians and the San Diego Padres using only his bare hands and a plethora of bullet points…
- Chris Young looked like Chris Young. Fastball in the high-80s, everything up, lots of pitches. He needed 29 to make it through the first, and was pulled in the fourth after 69. Word is, he’s worked on shortening his delivery with runners on base. Whatever. The two runs he allowed came on a bases loaded HBP with an 0-2 count and a solo homer to Jhonny Peralta, one of the few projected Indians starters in the lineup.
- Cory Luebke worked two scoreless innings, mainly against scrubs.
- Nick Hundley drove in two runs with a triple to center in the third. He hit the ball well, but Cleveland center fielder Trevor Crowe really should have caught it.
- Chase Headley looked comfortable at third base. He wasn’t challenged, but it’s good to see him get his reps.
- Kyle Blanks and Jerry Hairston Jr. both hit the ball hard a couple of times.
- Drew Cumberland came into the game late as a pinch runner and swiped second base while wearing one of those goofy giant helmets.
On another note (and one entirely too important for bullet points), Corey Brock tells us about Tony Gwynn Jr.’s revamped swing:
[Gwynn] has gone to a narrower base in his stance, as his feet aren’t nearly as spread apart as they were a year ago. Also, Gwynn has closed his front toe to help keep his front side closed. Finally, he’s holding his hands lower.
The new approach didn’t produce results on Sunday (a couple of lazy fly balls). Still, Gwynn looked like a big-league hitter in the box, which I couldn’t say when he used to set up with his weight on the front leg. It may or may not pay dividends (those minor-league numbers don’t lie), but I’m glad that Gwynn is trying to incorporate the lower half of his body into his swing. At the very least, he’s giving himself a chance.
Even if TGJRs new swing doesn’t yield improved results, at least his old cantilevered monstrosity of a stance won’t assault our eyes any more. He looked like a praying mantis. Everybody knows a praying mantis can’t hit a curveball.