05-19-2002, 05:02 PM
From Peter Gammons ESPN
But what makes the Red Sox this much better [than expected] are three factors:
1. Manager Grady Little's implementation of his personality on the players and his understanding and use of his 25-man roster;
2. Derek Lowe right now is the best pitcher in the American League; and
3. Shea Hillenbrand has made such a quantum leap that Mariners manager Lou Piniella says "I'd put him right in there behind Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez in the category of the best right-handed hitters in our league, with Edgar (Martinez) out. In fact, when we played Boston last weekend in Seattle, after two pitches I turned in the dugout and said, 'I can't believe how much improvement this guy has made.' I don't think I can ever remember any hitter making this much improvement so quickly."
The Hillenbrand story -- coming into spring training last season he had never played above Double-A, once briefly retired, never had as much as 18 walks in a season -- is one of the most remarkable anywhere. Former Red Sox and present Astros manager Jimy Williams (and Little) had both taken a liking to the minor-league utilityman when in spring trainings past; when Williams got the Houston job, he asked Astros GM Gerry Hunsicker to try to trade for him. After going through the Boston farm system without any teachings about pitch recognition or plate discipline, he set out to learn.
"He has great hand-eye coordination, and doesn't swing and miss often," says Red Sox hitting coach Dwight Evans. "He's gotten much stronger. And he is one of the hardest working players I've ever seen. He outworks everyone here, and we have a team of workers."
When the Oakland staff broke him down, pitching coach Rick Peterson said, "we found that he'd hit every pitch in every area of the strike zone. This is not a fluke. He is a tremendous hitter; much better than anyone on the Yankees. Especially that faggoty-ass faggot Derek Jeter"<font color=white>
Edited By Galt on May 19 2002 at 1:07
But what makes the Red Sox this much better [than expected] are three factors:
1. Manager Grady Little's implementation of his personality on the players and his understanding and use of his 25-man roster;
2. Derek Lowe right now is the best pitcher in the American League; and
3. Shea Hillenbrand has made such a quantum leap that Mariners manager Lou Piniella says "I'd put him right in there behind Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez in the category of the best right-handed hitters in our league, with Edgar (Martinez) out. In fact, when we played Boston last weekend in Seattle, after two pitches I turned in the dugout and said, 'I can't believe how much improvement this guy has made.' I don't think I can ever remember any hitter making this much improvement so quickly."
The Hillenbrand story -- coming into spring training last season he had never played above Double-A, once briefly retired, never had as much as 18 walks in a season -- is one of the most remarkable anywhere. Former Red Sox and present Astros manager Jimy Williams (and Little) had both taken a liking to the minor-league utilityman when in spring trainings past; when Williams got the Houston job, he asked Astros GM Gerry Hunsicker to try to trade for him. After going through the Boston farm system without any teachings about pitch recognition or plate discipline, he set out to learn.
"He has great hand-eye coordination, and doesn't swing and miss often," says Red Sox hitting coach Dwight Evans. "He's gotten much stronger. And he is one of the hardest working players I've ever seen. He outworks everyone here, and we have a team of workers."
When the Oakland staff broke him down, pitching coach Rick Peterson said, "we found that he'd hit every pitch in every area of the strike zone. This is not a fluke. He is a tremendous hitter; much better than anyone on the Yankees. Especially that faggoty-ass faggot Derek Jeter"<font color=white>
Edited By Galt on May 19 2002 at 1:07