Notes: Burnett making changes
03/08/2006DUNEDIN, Fla. -- There's a reason for Spring Training. Just ask A.J. Burnett.
When the newest Toronto starter has felt the most comfortable pitching from the wind-up, he wound up in a situation that dictated he work from the stretch. When Burnett was feeling better from the stretch, he has ended up needing to pitch from the wind-up.
"I guess that's what the spring is for -- getting comfortable doing both," said Burnett, after pitching three innings against Cleveland on Wednesday.
In his start against the Indians, Burnett was feeling better out of the wind-up. He proved that point after quickly setting down the first three batters he faced. In the second and third innings, though, Burnett allowed leadoff singles, was forced into the stretch, and wound up giving up four runs on five hits.
Toronto pitching coach Brad Arnsberg has been working on restructuring Burnett's technique when pitching from the wind-up. In the past, the right-hander would turn his body without lifting his hands, but Arnsberg now has Burnett raising his hands over his head during the delivery.
Burnett is already enjoying the new method.
"I like how it feels. It's just a matter of the more times I get out there, the better it'll feel," Burnett said. "It's just less movement. Before I was up and down with the hands and tended to carry my hands a lot, instead of getting the ball out of the glove. Going over the top seems to keep me back and allows the hands to come out sooner than before."
"I didn't like the turn-back look," Arnsberg said recently. "I'm so glad now to see him almost into what I would call a conventional delivery. I believe his ball-out-of-glove [movement] is a little more consistent, which is going to help. He's digging what we're doing already."
The right stuff: Eric Hinske hit his second home run of the spring on Wednesday and raised his Spring Training batting average to .400 in five games. Hinske has been getting most of the playing time in right field, a position he's made a relatively smooth transition to after serving as a corner infielder in his first four big-league seasons.
Hinske has been able to have extra time in right field because Alex Rios is currently playing for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. While Rios' absense has allowed Hinske to get more outfield work in, it's also enabled him to get into a good groove at the plate.
"A couple homers for him now. Even the outs he's making, he's hitting the ball on the nose," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "It's got to help [having extra playing time]. He's getting plenty of work out there in the outfield. He's doing good."
So far, Gibbons has been happy with Hinske's performance in right field, too.
"He's gone into the corner a couple times pretty good, made a couple nice spin throws to second base," Gibbons said. "I can see his arm has already gotten better. He's stretching it out a little bit. He's doing OK."
Impressed: Andy Marte was one of the main reasons Cleveland defeated Toronto, 7-4, on Wednesday, but Gibbons still raved about the Indians' third-base prospect after the game. Marte, who was acquired in the deal that sent outfielder Coco Crisp to Boston, went 4-for-4 with a two-run home run off Burnett, a double, two singles and a sacrifice fly.
"Oh, wow. He swings it," Gibbons said. "We said he looks like a young George Bell out there. George was sitting out there and he said, 'He's trying to be [me].'
"There's certain guys that stand out, and he's one of them," he added. "Every swing he took, he was right on the ball. The ball has a different sound coming off his bat."
Classic update: A number of Blue Jays were taking part in the World Baseball Classic on Tuesday.
Rios went 2-for-3 with a solo home run for Puerto Rico in a 2-1 win over Panama. Jays outfielder Frank Catalanotto went 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and one run scored in Italy's 10-0 victory over Australia. Blue Jays center fielder Vernon Wells didn't get an at-bat, but pinch-ran for Ken Griffey in Team USA's 2-0 win over Mexico. Toronto bench coach and Team Canada manager Ernie Whitt saw his squad rally for four runs in the ninth inning to beat South Africa, 11-8.
Quotable: "I know Rios and I know Hinske. I just didnt know [Hinske] in the outfield. We know Alex and we'll watch what he does in that tournament. If it all clicks, watch out." -- Gibbons, on determining who might win the right-field job come Opening Day
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
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