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Article: Caged heat: where players chat and work on the art of hitting: batting practice is an essential, daily routine that helps with the ins and outs of production on offense.
- Article from:
- Baseball Digest
- Article date:
- December 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Century Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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THE ROCKIES' TODD HELTON AND most major leaguers wouldn't dare try to escape from batting practice; in fact, they find it a daily ritual worth repeating.
Batting practice starts just as the ballpark is beginning to wake up for the next game. Before the darkness descends, before the fans spill in and the bright lights quadruple the adrenaline factor, the atmosphere during batting practice at Coors Field in Colorado mirrors the languorous Rocky Mountain twilight slowly settling on the field. Laughter, chitchat and jokes mingle with serious advice about stances, swings and bats. Helton pseudo-tackles Rockies manager Clint Hurdle from behind, laughing as Hurdle heads ...