The Mariners’ first session of live batting practice – with pitchers, not coaches, throwing to hitters – has ended and here are a few impressions:
• Carlos Peguero, who led the Southern League with 23 home runs last year, can hit a baseball a long, long way. Right-hande
d reliever Manny Delcarmen learned that when he left a pitch up and out enough where left-handed-hitting Peguero could extend. He extended it way, way, way over the right-field fence.
From where we stood near home plate, it looked as though the baseball also cleared a second fence (some 60-70 feet beyond the outfield fence) and bounced into the players’ parking lot. I couldn’t confirm that later when, trying not to look too suspicious, I looked under several nice cars and SUVs but couldn’t find the baseball. It either didn’t clear that second fence or it’s in the Padres’ parking lot a half-mile away.
Most hitters simply “tracked” the baseball during BP, and that’s what Peguero did during his first five-pitch turn against Delcarmen. Second time up, though, Peguero crushed the first pitch from Delcarmen.
Interestingly, Delcarmen pitched without a protective screen in front of him.
• Shortstop Jack Wilson was the first to hit a ball out of the park today, a fly over the left-field fence off Garrett Olson. That’s right, Jack Wilson (not Mike Wilson). If he keeps this up, we’ll be calling him Jack “the hammer” Wilson and not Jack “the hammy” Wilson.
• Erik Bedard threw 33 pitches to Ichiro Suzuki, Gabe Gross, Jody Gerut, Alex Liddi and Matt Tuiasosopo. The only swings off Bedard were by Liddi (actually a checked swing, but the intent was there) and Tuiasosopo (foul ball and a sharp grounder up the middle).
Probably the most notable thing from this group of hitters was what Ichiro did — or didn’t — do. He took all 10 pitches from Bedard. We may go more than a full game without seeing Ichiro take that many pitches.
One other thing about Bedard from the make-of-it-what-you-will dept.: He’d thrown 30 pitches and, when Gross stepped into the box, a coach shouted that he had three more to throw before he was finished. After the second pitch, the coach told Bedard he could throw one or two more if he wanted. Bedard threw one and called it a day.
• If you think 22-year-old hulk Michael Pineda looks big (he’s listed at 6-5, 245), what must it feel like to have his upper 90 mph fastball headed your way if you’re in the box?
“When I was in there, I couldn’t see anything behind him,” Josh Wilson said. “He’s pretty big. If you’re going to build the perfect right-handed pitcher, I think he fits the mold.”
Wilson said it was the first time he’s batted off Pineda, although he played shortstop behind the big pitcher during an intrasquad game last spring training. Wilson remembers being impressed with the fastball, but also Pineda’s crisp offspeed and breaking pitches.
“He threw a couple of curveballs to guys and it looked like it was the first time they’d ever seen a curveball,” Wilson said.
Today, Milton Bradley got a feel for Pineda on the second pitch he saw. The pitch broke Bradley’s bat as he fouled it into the netting of the batting cage. Bradley later stood in for five more pitches against Pineda, watching the first four before hitting a grounder to second base.
The rest of the pitchers will throw live BP on Tuesday, among them Felix Hernandez.
One other note in wake of manager Eric Wedge’s discussion Sunday about trying Jack Wilson and Brendan Ryan at both shortstop and second base before he makes a decision about his middle infield:
Those two fielded balls at both positions during infield drills before batting practice today. Matt Tuiasosopo also was with the so-called lead group, taking balls behind Chone Figgins at third and Justin Smoak at first.
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