BRADENTON, Fla. -- The hitters waiting by the cage usually started by laughing or talking some smack when the hitter swung and missed during batting practice. That changed when they got into the box and saw how challenging it was.
There were two pitching machines set up on the Roberto Clemente Field at Pirate City. The first one was about five feet behind the pitching rubber, the other about halfway between the mound and home plate. Both machines could mix up offerings, alternating between high and low spin and velocity.
And those offerings did alternate.