Earlier today, Ken Griffey Jr. joined Edgar Martinez, Jay Buhner and Dan Wilson, who were already in Mariners camp for instructional purposes.
Wedge: All right team, I've called you all here for a little hitting lesson.
Wedge: I realize sometimes it isn't about the message, but rather about the person sending it, and so with no further ado I thought I'd turn the floor over to a quartet of Mariner superstars.
Edgar: Hi there everybody.
Buhner: Hey guys!
Griffey: Hey.
Wilson: Good afternoon everyone.
Edgar: I think the most important thing I can say is that you should try to do the best you can with the pitch you get.
Buhner: I agree with that. Everyone thinks I was just some homer-hitting slugger but there's a lot more to hitting than hitting home runs.
Griffey: If you get a pitch you can take deep, great. If you don't, do what you can. Just hit it somewhere hard. Or don't swing! Identify the best outcome.
Wilson:
Edgar: You have to have a good idea of your plate coverage. Know what you're capable of before every pitch.
Buhner: Some guys can't cover the whole plate. That's fine. If you're aware of your limitations you can work with them.
Griffey: You can also work on them. That's key. But absolutely, don't try to do more than you can at any point in time.
Wilson:
Edgar: Another thing - don't be afraid of falling behind in the count. First-pitch strike? No matter. You get two more strikes.
Buhner: And don't be afraid of striking out! If it happens, it happens. Just do everything with confidence.
Griffey: So many people say it but it's so important to understand - the best hitters in the world make outs way more often than they get on base.
Wilson:
Wilson: :blows bubble: