**Seattle Mariners 2024 Season Thread ** | ELIMINATED |

[651akathepaul]

Last week when I woke up I heard a gang of birds singing, the sunlight beamed off the dewey grass, and a plane flew overhead. I could smell the freshness of the morning and I thought of one thing....Baseball!

 

[certifiedsw]

Here we go again. As always, hope for the best expect disappointment.

 

[certifiedsw]

Here we go again. As always, hope for the best expect disappointment.

 

[Sinner]

Hey, no one expects anything from the M's given Anaheim and Texas... true underdogs. Best way to stay under the radar and surprise everyone~! 

 

[Sinner]

Hey, no one expects anything from the M's given Anaheim and Texas... true underdogs. Best way to stay under the radar and surprise everyone~! 

 

[elpablo21]

100 wins. Book it

 

[elpablo21]

100 wins. Book it

 

[elpablo21]

[h2][/h2]

[h2]Michael Saunders hopes revamped batting approach finally does trick for him[/h2]
Posted by Geoff Baker



Just finished watching outfield hopefuls Michael Saunders (photo above), Trayvon Robinson and Carlos Peguero run a drill in which they start out looking over one shoulder as a coach flips them a "fly ball" towards their opposite shoulder that forces them to adjust mid-stride as they run back towards the fence.

But what I'm really looking forward to seeing is Saunders in the batting cage.

He trained this off-season near his new Denver-area home with hitting instructor Mike Bard, the brother of former M's catcher Josh Bard. Saunders told me that he strapped on rubber training bands around his legs and arms while swinging in the cage. The workout is designed to limit his movement and give him a more tight, compact swing.

Saunders and Bard had previously studied video of elite hitters like Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday to see what they had in common. The tight, compact swings were one of the bigger items.

Another thing Saunders is doing is using a massive, 60-ounce bat when he starts swinging in the outdoor cage. It's about twice as heavy as the one he'll use in games.

"It's too heavy for me to be able to make contact using my arms and wrists," he said. "So, it really forces me to use my lower half."

And driving the ball using force generated by his legs and hips is something he's tried to do for quite some time. After a few turns with the heavy bat, he'll drop down to his regular-sized one and try to maintain the same form.

Saunders says he feels better than ever heading into camp and is looking forward to putting his new technique to use. He said multiple hitting coaches have tried to tighten up his long swing over the years and have all been striving for the same goal. It's just now, he said, that he finally feels like he's gotten it.

As with anything else, we'll just have to see. It's one thing to do it in a cage during workouts. A different story when facing major league pitchers.



I hope he puts it together this yea...ezboard.com/images/emoticons/laugh.gif[/img]
http://
http://http://

 

[elpablo21]

[h2][/h2]

[h2]Michael Saunders hopes revamped batting approach finally does trick for him[/h2]
Posted by Geoff Baker



Just finished watching outfield hopefuls Michael Saunders (photo above), Trayvon Robinson and Carlos Peguero run a drill in which they start out looking over one shoulder as a coach flips them a "fly ball" towards their opposite shoulder that forces them to adjust mid-stride as they run back towards the fence.

But what I'm really looking forward to seeing is Saunders in the batting cage.

He trained this off-season near his new Denver-area home with hitting instructor Mike Bard, the brother of former M's catcher Josh Bard. Saunders told me that he strapped on rubber training bands around his legs and arms while swinging in the cage. The workout is designed to limit his movement and give him a more tight, compact swing.

Saunders and Bard had previously studied video of elite hitters like Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday to see what they had in common. The tight, compact swings were one of the bigger items.

Another thing Saunders is doing is using a massive, 60-ounce bat when he starts swinging in the outdoor cage. It's about twice as heavy as the one he'll use in games.

"It's too heavy for me to be able to make contact using my arms and wrists," he said. "So, it really forces me to use my lower half."

And driving the ball using force generated by his legs and hips is something he's tried to do for quite some time. After a few turns with the heavy bat, he'll drop down to his regular-sized one and try to maintain the same form.

Saunders says he feels better than ever heading into camp and is looking forward to putting his new technique to use. He said multiple hitting coaches have tried to tighten up his long swing over the years and have all been striving for the same goal. It's just now, he said, that he finally feels like he's gotten it.

As with anything else, we'll just have to see. It's one thing to do it in a cage during workouts. A different story when facing major league pitchers.



I hope he puts it together this yea...ezboard.com/images/emoticons/laugh.gif[/img]
http://
http://http://

 

[dakid23]

Originally Posted by Elpablo21

100 wins. Book it

I like your thinking 

 

[dakid23]

Originally Posted by Elpablo21

100 wins. Book it

I like your thinking 

 

[elpablo21]

 

[elpablo21]

 

[Sinner]

Interesting experiment with Saunders swinging a 60-oz

bat. He'll loose bat-speed, but if he makes good contact it should go a long-way... in theory anyway.
Anyway... everyone's in camp!

 

[Sinner]

Interesting experiment with Saunders swinging a 60-oz

bat. He'll loose bat-speed, but if he makes good contact it should go a long-way... in theory anyway.
Anyway... everyone's in camp!

 

[elpablo21]

Bounce back year for Ichi

 

[elpablo21]

Bounce back year for Ichi

 

[Sinner]

Good energy from Kawasaki-san!

Also... Ichiro will be hitting 3rd~!

 

[Sinner]

Good energy from Kawasaki-san!

Also... Ichiro will be hitting 3rd~!

 

[elpablo21]

I like the move for Ichiro

Chone
Ack
Ichiro
Carp
Smoak/Montero

That's how the top of the lineup shaping out right?

I hope someone steps up big and takes Chone's spot early as possible

 

[elpablo21]

I like the move for Ichiro

Chone
Ack
Ichiro
Carp
Smoak/Montero

That's how the top of the lineup shaping out right?

I hope someone steps up big and takes Chone's spot early as possible

 

[Sinner]

Yeah, let's not forget a healthy Guti adds speed in the mix as well.

Really, if Chone can get on base, I have no problems with him playing. Who knows, putting Ichi in the 3-hole might just be what the M's need.

 

[Sinner]

Yeah, let's not forget a healthy Guti adds speed in the mix as well.

Really, if Chone can get on base, I have no problems with him playing. Who knows, putting Ichi in the 3-hole might just be what the M's need.

 

[elpablo21]

Originally Posted by SinnerP

Yeah, let's not forget a healthy Guti adds speed in the mix as well.

Really, if Chone can get on base, I have no problems with him playing. Who knows, putting Ichi in the 3-hole might just be what the M's need.

I have no faith in dude. Maybe he shuts me up....maybe

 

[elpablo21]

Originally Posted by SinnerP

Yeah, let's not forget a healthy Guti adds speed in the mix as well.

Really, if Chone can get on base, I have no problems with him playing. Who knows, putting Ichi in the 3-hole might just be what the M's need.

I have no faith in dude. Maybe he shuts me up....maybe