Gripping two large rubber bands and carrying a purpose, the man they call “Buddha” around the Cardinals’ batting cages had an idea how to stop Kolten Wong from sabotaging his swing.
The second baseman’s leg kick would sometimes drift toward the plate, prohibiting his swing from reaching inside pitches and making him lunge instead of lash. So late this past spring, Mark Budaska, Class AAA Memphis’ hitting coach and a bio-mechanic who helped tune many of the big-league club’s current hitters, stepped into the cage with Wong. He tied the rubber bands together and lassoed one around the infielder’s waist.