PEORIA, Ariz. – You can see them together virtually every desert morning, Shed Long and Perry Hill, working on whatever quirky drill the 67-year-old zen master of the infield has devised.
Long, the Mariners’ second-baseman designate, is Hill’s pet project this year, much as shortstop J.P. Crawford was last year. And as manager Scott Servais said, “Perry has a track record, and he hasn’t failed on too many guys. You’ll see improvement with Shed defensively.”
It’s a regimen that Long eagerly embraces, much to the delight of Hill, whose work molding infielders, many of whom become Gold Glovers, is legendary in the industry.