+
Dateline: 318 kilometers from the Gulf of Mexico
We have documented in this space how the glut of infielders are in a heated battle for third and first base.
Outfield has exciting competition for possibly one spot to supplement TJ Friedl, Jake Fralely and Austin Hays. Gavin Lux and Cooper Bowman, should the Reds keep him along with injured Spencer Steer are versatile enough to play some outfield. Stuart Fairchild has a fight on his hands to retain his fourth outfielder role.
Under heavy scrutiny, are Blake Dunn, Rece Hinds and incumbent Will Benson.
Dunn and Benson cracked homers to beat the Chicago Cubs on March 2. One at bat is no indicator to making the team out of spring training but is much better than other indicators.
Starting with Benson, who is on his second team managed by Terry Francona. Benson was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the first round of the 2016 draft out of Westminster High School in Atlanta, Georgia.
“I told him that we were very unfair to him in Cleveland,” Francona said. “It was eating at me for a while. He was in a bench role in Cleveland and we didn’t put him in position to succeed. He handled himself great as he always does. This is an important spring for him. He is going to play a lot.”
Benson spent three seasons off the bench in Cleveland, one season as a late August call up. He played in 28 games with one double and a hit .182 in 61 plate appearances and struck out 19 times.
He was caught looking 95 times among his 154 strike outs or 62.2 %. Benson, it seems, was constantly hitting with two strikes.
Francona pointed out his positive approach to his home run at bat against the Cubs.
“It was good to see Will get aggressive, you know, get a pitch he could handle early in the at bat, not put himself in a hole. Then get rewarded for it,” Francona said.
Benson’s ever present smile got bigger when informed of Francona’s observation.
“Oh yes I was definitely aggressive but you know what? It is also attributed to it was because of the messaging relayed to me by him by the hitting coaches to go up there and be aggressive they want to see me swing. I’ve got a good one,” Benson stated with all humility.
He was asked how different his relationship to Francona was this time around.
“I would say it’s improved,” Benson offered. “Just because I’m older and more mature. I can approach him not out of a rookie kind of mindset. I’ve developed an admiration for him, respect for him. Knowing what he’s done, coming back to the game.”
Dunn is in his second big league spring training and admits to being much more comfortable this time around. He is hitting .385 this spring in 13 at bats as of March 3 with a double and a home run and only one strikeouts in 13 at bats.
“Last time I was kind of the new guy, the young guy,” Dunn said. “I was getting to know everybody and figuring out how things worked. I have more familiarity with everybody.
On his work at the plate this year, Dunn made some adjustments.
“I worked on some things this off season. Kind of little things, like standing up straight in the (batter’s) box,” Dunn said. “In years passed I would have a negative move that led to a positive drift in the box. This year by standing taller, leads to a sinking movement that leads to a forward move. It puts me in a better position to launch when I need to. It lets me use my power, speed to my advantage and do more damage to the baseball.”
Benson and Dunn being the competitive types that actually lead them to play at a level this high.
“Competition is good for everybody,” Dunn said. “My college coach, (Western Michigan baseball coach Billy Gernon) said competition breeds excellence. Competition helps push us to be the best we can be.”
Benson has the perspective of having successfully dealt with competition over the three years in the big leagues.
“(competition) It’s awesome. It’s fun. It’s exhilarating. It is a great opportunity,” Benson said.
No comments:
Post a Comment