"I'm going to hit like Albert this year."
Who do you think said this? If you said Holliday, Ludwick, or any of the other obvious answers, you are incorrect. This line was actually uttered by Brendan Ryan. Granted I did take it out of context. Way out of context.
Touching on a little bit of what I talked about yesterday, McGwire is already paying dividends for the Cardinals. His hitting expertise and command for respect are top notch. Brendan Ryan is working as hard as he ever has in the offseason. This already coming off his best season - offensively speaking - in his young career. We all already know that his defense is about as good as it gets.
Here is what Skip Schumaker had to say about Ryan's work ethic this winter:
"I don't think he's ever hit this much in the offseason. I don't know if he even hit in the offseason before the last couple weeks of spring [in previous years]. He hasn't been late one time, which is more incredible than anything I think. He's done a great job. McGwire's been working hard with him, and it's hard not to like Brendan Ryan. He's a good kid, works hard and I think there's going to be some nice improvements."
This is all tied to the amount of respect that Mark McGwire receives from players. Brendan Ryan commented on his experience so far working with the new hitting coach:
"I think if I take one percent of what he's given me, I'll be that much better. I'm eager to get to the finish line, but with each swing, I think we're getting closer to where he'd like me to be. We're taking batting practice... and I can see the backspin off the bat. It's not where I'd like to be, but we have all of Spring Training. But it's encouraging. I'm getting a lot of backspin on the ball. I'd like to repeat better swings more often."
He also added:
"I battle changing my stance every week. So the first thing was, let's find a batting stance and let's stick with that. The funny thing is, I had a hard time finding out who I am. So I just kind of started doing what Albert did, and I started taking good swings. So I'm going to hit like Albert this year -- at least batting stance-wise. I'm going to try. That's what we've been doing. It feels good. He's got a pretty darn good swing obviously. If I can do an impersonation of that and fall just short, then I should have a pretty good swing too."
Like I said - McGwire paying dividends. Big Mac instills confidence in these younger guys. If he can have Brendan Ryan hitting like Albert Pujols, the sky is the limit for guys like Ludwick or Holliday.
The only worry I have is I don't want Brendan out there trying to his homers every time. It makes me think of Major League II, when all the guys come back to spring training and Willie Mays Hayes has bulked up in the offseason and has gone from a single-and-steal type of player to a home run hitter. Then all he does is hit lazy flies. Maybe the problem was he was an impostor. Willie sure looked like Wesley Snipes in the first Major League. And not the second. He looked more like Omar Epps.
Anyway...That is all I have today. As I sit here and listen to Taylor Swift's album of the year, I bid you adieu.
See ya tomorrow Cardinal Nation.
GZNJUNHX2QKR
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