With baseball shut down, Mariners trying to keep bats in shape without live pitching
Like most others waiting out the COVID-19 pandemic, Seattle Mariners hitting coach Tim Laker spends his days at his home in Southern California looking for ways to pass the time.
Usually, that means watching TV, playing with his dog, checking Twitter or checking in with players who undoubtedly have similarly limited routines right now.
It’s a weird time, said Laker, who was gearing up to begin his second season as Seattle’s hitting coach before baseball shut down its spring training operations three weeks ago in response to the virus.
“As long as I’ve been in baseball — 1988 was my first year, and the years are flying by, that’s like 32 years now — I’ve had a baseball season,” Laker said. “This is the first time without it.
“The offseason, by the time it’s finished, I think it always feels like it’s been too long and everybody is ready to go. We go out in spring training, and kind of get peace for like a month and have it taken away. It’s different. It’s frustrating.”
Despite the leaking of one possible plan Monday night, which would have MLB players back in Arizona and playing by May — MLB somewhat rolled back this idea Tuesday — there’s no solid blueprint for how this season will play out, or if it will at all.
So, Laker and the Mariners players he worked to develop last season and this spring will do what they’ve been doing in the meantime — wait.
“We’re just making sure guys are trying to stay in shape as best they can,” Laker said. “You feel like that’s one thing guys can do. Everybody has access to some home workout equipment. They can go out and run.
“All of the coaches kind of divvied up the team, and we’re all making sure somebody talks to everybody every week, and kind of checks in with them and sees what they’re doing.”
But, the most important development tool Mariners players need to stay on track is one few have access to — a place to hit.
With spring training facilities shuttered and most other facilities with cages shut down due to the virus, Laker is asking players to do whatever they can to stay in shape. There are some, like infielders Shed Long and Tim Lopes, who are able to hit at open facilities and send in video for feedback, but they are of the few.
Laker has encouraged others, like slugger Daniel Vogelbach, to buy a net and a tee, just to stay mobile and work on flexibility. Players can swing the bat while at home and try to repeat the adjustments they made in spring training. Still, Laker knows the reality is the Mariners will have to backtrack when they can congregate as a team again, as if they had just arrived at camp following the usual four-month offseason.
“Even if guys are swinging and doing some soft toss and some cages, it’s not the same as seeing live pitching,” Laker said. “We were getting really close to being ready, having a full spring training under the belt. … Almost everybody nowadays shows up to spring training in shape, ready to go. I think the biggest thing for hitters is seeing live pitching.
“That’s the biggest challenge is just getting enough live at-bats to feel comfortable once the season starts. And now it’s kind of like we have to start that all over again.”
Laker was pleased with the progress he saw out of several players in the month or so the Mariners did spend in Peoria this spring.
Lopes, who works with Laker works in the offseason, looked even better at the plate this spring than he did during his stint with Seattle last season as a rookie, slashing at .440/.440/.640 in 11 Cactus League games, and was among the spring training leaders in doubles (five).
Non-roster invite Jose Marmolejos, who was competing for a utility spot, is another who caught Laker’s attention this spring.
“A guy we had a brief look at this spring, but looks like a guy who could really hit,” he said.
Mamolejos logged seven hits in his 30 at-bats, including six — three doubles, one triple, two homers — for extra bases, and was leading the Mariners with eight RBI.
First baseman Evan White’s bat was starting to heat up in March, and he looked poised for his first season in the majors. Third baseman Kyle Seager was off to a quick start in the spring, looking to build off his impressive second half in 2019. Top outfield prospect Jarred Kelenic’s confidence was wowing everyone.
Then it all came to a screeching halt. All the Mariners can do if and when play resumes is “try to pick up where we left off,” Laker said.
Laker estimates a month needed for batters to build up again before they would be truly ready for regular-season games.
“If we went three weeks, I think you could do it, but I don’t think what you’re going to get on the field is probably quite up to snuff,” Laker said. “If you really want guys to be as close as they could to being ready, I think it’s probably about a month.
“I think guys are going to need that many at-bats to get back in the swing.”
This story was originally published April 8, 2020 at 1:00 PM.
