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Thursday, February 28, 2008

Denard Span listens to cassette of Maury Wills to improve baserunning

Only because Humble Pie’s “Rockin’ the Fillmore” was totally jammed in the 8-track player.

Denard Span knows a thing or two about the latest technology.

The Minnesota Twins center fielder has a slick cell phone, watches videos in high definition and listens to music in the newest formats.

So it’s interesting that, over the offseason, Span went old school to try to improve his baserunning and increase his stolen base percentage.

Span listened to a cassette tape - not a CD, not an MP3, not a download - of former Dodgers great and base-stealing extraodinaire Maury Wills to pick up some tips on getting better.

“The way he talks about it, you can just visualize it,” Span said. “It’s easy. He makes it plain and easier so even a high school player could understand it. “The little stuff I kind of knew, but to hear a great base stealer talk about it, it helped a lot.”

 

Repoz Posted: February 28, 2008 at 02:32 AM | 6 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
  Tags: history, twins

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   1. Gamingboy Posted: February 28, 2008 at 02:46 AM (#2701715)
Allow me to say that, after seeing Denard Span play all last year in Rochester, I can say that even if he had Maury Wills' legs and baserunning prowess, he still wouldn't be able to effectively fill Hunter's shoes. At all. Ever.
   2. PASTE Thinks This Trout Kid Might Be OK (Zeth) Posted: February 28, 2008 at 02:46 AM (#2701716)
Imagine Slappy Pierre, only if he hit .250 instead of .300.
   3. Alex_Lewis Posted: February 28, 2008 at 03:00 AM (#2701725)
In other news, Nick Punto has taken to listening to a Chipper Jones cassette on how to maintain a happy marriage in order to improve his hitting.
   4. pkb33 Posted: February 28, 2008 at 03:33 AM (#2701741)
Even Maury can't teach him to steal first base, unfortunately
   5. Comic Strip Person Posted: February 28, 2008 at 05:56 AM (#2701812)
Well, that's just crazy. He needs to point his slick new cell phone to YouTube to watch the Baseball Boogie Bunch. That's going to teach him all he ever needs.
   6. kthejoker Posted: February 28, 2008 at 03:18 PM (#2701942)
Really, Denard Span has no friends who know how to turn an analog audio source into an MP3?

Clearly this is a market inefficiency. We need more nerds on clubhouse payrolls.

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