TAMPA – Exhibit A was on display yesterday morning at Legends Field in regards to the impossibility of teaching a mature dog fresh tricks.
On a back field, Randy Johnson needed to see only two balls fired from a pitching machine to know that he wasn’t going to participate in a drill designed to quicken pitcher’s reaction time after releasing the ball and catching line drives.
Last in his group after Mike Mussina, Jaret Wright, Shawn Chacon and Chien-Ming Wang battled the soft balls that were thrust back at them, Johnson missed the first one completely. After playfully tossing his cap on the outfield grass and feigning walking away, Johnson settled in for the second ball. This time, the soft sphere glanced off Johnson’s glove as Johnson’s 6-foot-10 frame sprawled on the ground.
That was it for the drill as Johnson went to the back of the line.
“Hitters know better to hit line drives at me because they know I will hit them,” Johnson joked out loud.
Later in the clubhouse, Johnson was asked how fast the balls were coming at him during the drill that is new to camp this year.
“Too fast for me,” Johnson said. “It’s new technology but get a fungo (bat) and hit me ground balls.”
As his fellow pitchers chuckled at Johnson’s effort, Wright said afterward, “We told him to get out of there. (An injury) is all we need.”
According to minor league pitching coach Gil Patterson who ran the drill, the soft balls were going to the pitcher about 65 mph even if the hurlers believed it to be closer to 80.
Considering Wright’s history last year getting hit by a ball and a bat, you could have made a case for him to sit out the drill. Even though the ball was softer, Mussina said, “It would leave a welt on you if it hit you.”
“Bats you can’t prepare for, balls you can,” said Wright, who was struck on the neck by a Raul Ibanez liner last Sept. 1 in Seattle and by a broken bat in Toronto 17 days later when Eric Hinske’s lumber bruised his collarbone.
Asked about participating in the drill, Wright said, “I wanted to show people I can really catch (balls),” Wright said.
As for the rest of the pitcher’s day, it was routine. The five starters went through fielding drills and threw for 10 minutes in the bullpen.
After throwing to Jorge Posada Friday, Johnson was caught by former Diamondback teammate Kelly Stinnett and mixed in a few sliders. Posada caught Wright, who snapped off a few filthy breaking balls and popped the glove the loudest with his fastball.
Much has been made of Posada and Johnson working together after not doing so for the final three months of last year when John Flaherty caught Johnson and Johnson thrived. Posada said his top spring priority is feeling more comfortable with Johnson.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a situation where Jorge is not going to catch Randy,” Torre said. “Now, I am not saying if I choose to give him days off and it happens to be (Johnson’s) day, I am sure the question is going to be asked. I don’t think it’s going to be an issue where they aren’t going to work together.”